To Mai Surprise
by crim5on cr0w
Summary: Chloe King is shocked to find out that Alek, the boy she could never be with, is Mai. She is heartbroken when he takes a bullet for her, but everything changes when he comes back to life. The most popular guy in school is not only Mai, he is the Uniter.
1. Chapter 1

**To Mai Surprise**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Nine Lives of Chloe King, nor do I profit from any of my stories.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Prologue: Two years ago…<strong>

The crowded halls seemed to laugh at my struggle. Every push and shove was no use; I was never going to make it to class on time. With a sigh, I waited in vain for the sea of people to disperse before attempting again to make my way through the main hallway. It was only my third day of high school, and so far I had managed to be late to every single class. I can't handle crowds, not since last February. Too much noise, I just didn't want to deal with it.

I could hear every whisper, every sigh, and every single rude comment the jocko club made. I haven't gotten used to my hypersensitive hearing. I don't know if I ever will. Everyone says I will, but my transformation was six months ago and I haven't gotten the voices out of my head. The halls were as crowded as ever, but I didn't need to block out the sound anymore. Every voice was quiet, no one moved, even the jocks were silent. Confused, I looked around.

Honey brown hair fell across his face, almost covering his eyes. He looked up from the half sheet of paper he was holding, his eyes met mine. He looked at me for a split second, and then smirked. The voices came back just as suddenly as they had disappeared. Girls gasping in delight and jocks muttering about "competition" but the one voice that I heard the clearest was attached to those chocolate brown eyes.

His voice surprised me with a thick British accent, and a certain superior tone. "Which one of you is going to help me find my classes?"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1: <strong>

"Why do I have to wear all black? I'm going across town to Amy's house, not planning a heist!" I complained loudly to my cousin Jasmine. She shot me an apathetic glance, and then shrugged. "Are you coming with, or are you just going to stay here?"

Jasmine thought it over for a second, then shook her head. "Amy is cool, but her 'plus-one' gets on my nerves" she said with a laugh. She liked Paul, but ever since he found out about the Mai it has been question after question. Jasmine humored him, but only sometimes. Paul had long since grilled me on the full extent of my knowledge, but Jasmine had been studying our culture and history her entire life.

With a quick text to Aunt Val to let her know where I was going, I left the building. Walking down the street, I dipped into the alley behind our apartment building. A well-practiced jump was all it took to launch myself into the neighboring tree, another to land on the roof of the coffee shop next door.

I paused to survey my surroundings, and then took off. The trip to Amy's house took me only six minutes by rooftop, though the route is a good fifteen minutes if you drive there. As I neared her house, I smiled. Amy had her headphones on, but I could still hear her singing along. She only sang when she thought no one was listening, so that means that Paul must not be there yet.

I jumped off her neighbor's roof and walked up to the front door. Ringing the doorbell, I heard excited footsteps thundering down the stairs. I hadn't even walked into the house yet when Amy exploded.

"Did you get my text? We need to talk! I don't know what to do! Should I say yes? Or is it too weird?" I always wonder if she remembers to breathe. I push past her into the house, and then make up way upstairs to her room. She had texted me earlier telling me to come over because "something urgent" came up. We sat on her bed as she started talking again.

"Paul asked me on a date! A real date! Paul! Mr. Comic-Book-Nerd! Should I go? Does he like me? Does he know that I like him?" A sudden thought dawns on her. "How does he know I like him? Did you tell him? If you did, I'm going to kill you!" she said with a glare.

I burst out laughing. Amy opened her mouth to keep talking but I silenced her with a loud _shhhh_. "Yes you should go, yes he likes you, no he doesn't know you like him back, so no I didn't tell him that you like him!" She shot me another accusatory glare. "What? He asked me if it would be a good idea to ask you out!"

"When was this? Why didn't you tell me?" Her anger was replaced with surprise and curiosity.

"Oh last week sometime, I didn't want to tell you just in case he chickened out and didn't ask you," I said as Amy grabbed her phone and called Paul. She told him when she wanted to go on the date, where she wanted to go, what time to meet her there, and that he was paying. Paul was speechless for a second but quickly recovered to agree to meet Amy at 8 on Saturday, at Ground Zero, the best "under-21" club in the area.

Amy was plenty excited; she would have talked about it all night, so I distracted her with a more urgent upcoming event. The first day of school was coming tomorrow morning, and she hadn't picked out the perfect outfit yet. Her search through her closet lasted an hour, by the time she was satisfied I was asleep on my feet. I practically crawled into Amy's bed; thankfully "the dads" had blessed her with a nice queen sized bed.

* * *

><p>It took me two alarms, three people yelling, and fifteen minutes to wake her up. Amy sleeps like the dead. When we finally got out the door, we were already late for school. Amy drove us both to school a good 10mph over the speed limit, but I still walked into math five minutes late.<p>

After an hour of listening to the teacher talk about every single little detail in his syllabus, the bell finally rang. I walked towards the stairwell where I had agreed to meet Amy, and she started talking about Paul again. He was in her first period class apparently. The two had spent the past hour passing notes back and forth.

"He said that we are going to go out to dinner! You remember that new Italian restaurant, Grazie? Well Paul said—" Amy's chatter stopped when she heard the tell-tale sound of a basketball hitting the floor. She glanced behind her, and then said, "Look perky. London calling at 10 o'clock."

"Okay, that's your crazy obsession, not mine" I replied. "Did you tell him you like him?" Alek threw the basketball against the wall, a few inches from my head. _Smack!_ "Because you need to tell him!" _Smack!_ "He deserves to know that—"Alek threw the ball again, but this time I caught it before it hit the wall.

I took a step forward. "Hey jocko, do you mind? People are trying to have a conversation here. Go play 'Look-at-me!' somewhere else." I threw the ball down the hallway. It landed in a trashcan about thirty feet away.

I gasped as Amy's jaw dropped. "You did not just do that!"

"I think I did." I grabbed Amy's hand and said, "let's go." Amy sent me a accusing look as I tried to pull her down the hallway. "Amy, come on!"

Just then the bell rang, and I rushed to class. _Shit, shit, shit. Why did I do that? Aunt Valentina is going to kill me!_ For the past two and a half years, I have been trying to blend in. I don't do sports, I don't join clubs, and I hang out with "Crazy Amy" and "Comic Book Paul" for crying out loud! If anyone finds out about my suspiciously above average speed, coordination, and strength, I am in so much trouble! Amy and Paul already know about the Mai, but that is only because they were there when I first started to transform in the 8th grade.

My phone made an almost inaudible _beep!_ that would be impossible for human ears to pick up. I quickly glanced to my phone, only to find a text from Amy. "Damn girl! Way to show off for Petrov!" I sighed inwardly; just because Alek was fantastic eye-candy didn't mean he would ever notice me. Not that I wanted him to, no. That would be bad. I could deal with my little crush on him, but only from afar. He was off-limits. Not because he is the single most popular guy in the entire school, not because he would never talk to me, but for a much more simple reason. He was human. I am Mai. Mai and humans do not mix, cannot mix, and will never mix.

Alek is such a player; he has a new girlfriend every other week. I don't want to get to close to him or his friends. Alek might try to kiss me. And, no matter how delicious his lips look, I can never, ever, kiss him. It's a curse. Literally. A kiss from a Mai is deadly for a human. If Alek kisses me it will cause his death, within a day if not immediately.

I text Amy back, "Yeah, I wish. But, some girls can only dream."

* * *

><p><strong>Hi everyone! Thank you so much for reading this! <strong>

**Please review! Reviews = love!**


	2. Chapter 2

**To Mai Surprise**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Nine Lives of Chloe King, nor do I profit from any of my stories.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

I slipped my phone into my pocket before the teacher noticed. A confiscated cell phone was the last thing I needed. With a sigh, I scanned the classroom. Sure, I know people here; I'm just not exactly friends with any of them.

I try to keep my distance from humans. Not that I think the Mai are better than humans, because I don't. I just know that The Order could attack at any time. It is easier to defend myself when there are no suspicious bystanders, and I definitely wouldn't want any humans to get caught up in the fights.

Another _beep!_ announced a text. "Meet me, Telegraph Hill, 7pm." It was Jasmine; apparently we have to train tonight. I don't mind training, as long as it's not stairs. Last week, Aunt Val made us run up the stairs to the top of Coit Tower.

A piece of paper landed on my desk. "English 11, European Literature," with an outline of the class syllabus and the teacher's late-work policy. On the back of the sheet there was a place for a parent signature. I quickly forged Aunt Valentina's name. She won't be back until November, and the form was due next week.

As the bell rang, I stuck the paper into a folder and threw it into my backpack. I pulled the crumpled half-sheet of paper out of my pocket. Up next on my schedule? AP United States History. I looked down at my feet as I shuffled through the hall. _Why did I sign up for APUSH?_

Suddenly, my path was blocked by a light-blue cotton-clad muscular arm. Alek! I froze. Maybe he forgot about earlier... I was worried. If he was angry, he had the power to turn the whole student body against me. He leaned in closer; I tried to take a step back but there was a wall behind me.

Alek spoke, his thick British accent made my heart melt. "That was very impressive," he smirked. "Maybe you could show me your moves sometime."

I gasped, and then squeaked out, "no moves. Just a lucky shot."

His voice went lower as he leaned closer. "I wasn't really talking about... basketball."

I rolled my eyes and tried to get further away. "Subtle" I sarcastically replied.

Alek smirked again, "I'm not trying to be." He grabbed my waist, his other arm still against the wall on the other side of me. There was no way to get past him without making a scene.

When I finally found my voice, it was about an octave higher than normal. "Um, you haven't talked to me in like two years. Let's get back to that," I said, my nerves getting the best of me.

Unfortunately, Aleksander Petrov chose that moment to lean down and rest his head on my shoulder. He inhaled deeply, his face in my hair. "You smell very good," Alek said, only loud enough for me to hear.

I pushed him away and met his eyes with my own. "Um, okay crazy non-sequitur man, it's called bathing. Try it!" My response seemed to only spur his interest.

He leaned back, with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Why are you giving me such a hard time?" he asked, smiling. "Chloe King?"

He knew my name? Part of me was angry that I had been so careless as to attract attention to myself. Another, much larger part of me wanted to run and tell Amy.

I was a bit flustered, and said the exactly what I was thinking. "Believe me, if I knew it would have this kind of effect, I would have never touched you ball."

Okay, now every part of me wants to run. Not 'run and tell Amy,' just run. Alek let out a quiet laugh and opened his mouth to speak.

"Don't say it!" I cringed before he even had a chance to.

To my surprise, he leaned towards me. "Something tells me we're going to be very good friends." Alek's accent was killing me!

He leaned even closer, then— "Alek!" Oh, thank God! Jasmine to the rescue!

Alek paused in his advance towards my lips to look up. I had almost let myself get kissed! _Why does Alek always make me freeze up?_ Jasmine was furious. She glared at Alek and motioned me towards her. I pushed past him, stuttering out, "uh, well, nice chattin', this was fun, let's try and never do it again." Jasmine grabbed my hand and pulled me down the hall as the bell rang. The look on her face meant that I was going to get a lecture later.

* * *

><p><strong>Hi everyone! Thank you so much for reading this!<strong>

**Please review! Reviews = love!**


	3. Chapter 3

**To Mai Surprise**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Nine Lives of Chloe King, nor do I profit from any of my stories.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

It was the first day of school but teachers still gave us homework. Nothing challenging, just review and reading in the textbooks.

It was 5 o'clock when Jasmine came home, and she wasn't alone. Two other Mai were with her, a short man and his teenage daughter.

I moved from the kitchen counter to introduce myself. "Hello, I'm Chloe! My aunt, Valentina, is out on business, but please. Make yourselves at home."

"Hello! It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I am Roberto Vacinni." The older man shook my hand, and then motioned to his daughter. "This here is Mirella, you look about her age."

"Hi Chloe! This is my first time in San Francisco, I'm so excited!" She smiled brightly, "I'm fifteen, but my birthday is next Wednesday."

Jasmine turned to me. "I was thinking that we should throw a birthday party. Maybe sometime this weekend?"

There was a _ding!_ from the kitchen. I took the pork chops out of the oven while Jasmine put two more place settings on the table. After carrying the rest of the food to the table, I sat down to join Jasmine, Mr. Vacinni, and Mirella. While we ate, the two newcomers told of their travels. They had been living abroad for a few years, but chose to follow when The Order moved stateside.

Once we had finished our meal, Jasmine offered to share our files with Mr. Vacinni. An increase in encrypted communication suggested that The Order was migrating into our territory. Mirella offered to help with the dishes; we talked about life here. Apparently she was going to start school with Jasmine and me next week. I offered to show her around the city tonight before training.

I texted Jasmine to let her know that I planned to show Mirella around, and that we would meet her at Telegraph Hill.

Instead of running across rooftops, I decided on a more leisurely mode of transportation. The two of us headed through the park, making our way towards the high school. As we walked, we fell into a comfortable conversation. "So do you have a boyfriend?"

I sighed, "No, there aren't many options here." Mirella looked up, questioning. "There aren't many Mai boys in San Fran; me and Jasmine are the only teenagers." A thought hit me, "not anymore! This is exciting!"

We were almost to the school now. The lights on the field were on, same with the gym. "Looks like it's open. There are probably sports or something." I tugged on her arm, "Hey Mirella, let's go through here."

She laughed. "Please, all my friends call me Mimi. Only my dad says 'Mirella.'" I smiled and nodded.

As walked the halls of the school, I imagined Mimi walking to class with Amy, Paul, and me. Mimi was really nice. She was actually excited to meet my human friends. We walked past the main office, and then headed towards the commotion in the gymnasium.

"We can only stay for a minute or two, but it sounds like there is a game tonight. The football team at my school is really bad, but the basketball team has been on a winning streak the past few years." Our gaze turned towards the home team.

"I wish some of these guys were Mai. Then San Francisco would be perfect!" Mimi laughed. The buzzer rang out, the teams gathered up for half-time. "Where are we going next?"

"Coit tower. Jasmine is meeting us there." She nodded and we walked out the door. "Might as well warm up on our way there," I said as I leaped onto the rooftop.

* * *

><p>Sweating and breathing heavy, I looked around. The buzzer had just gone off, and I heard something from across the gym floor. Two girls were standing in the doorway to the hall. The taller one, I didn't recognize her, was laughing. Her ivory hair hung loosely past her shoulders.<p>

"Where are we going next?" I heard her ask her friend. My gaze shifted to the other girl. I recognized her wavy blond hair instantly. It was Chloe King. She was here? Watching my game?

"Petrov! What do you think you're doing?" I heard the coach yell.

It seemed that Chloe and her friend were leaving, so I waited to hear her response. _Coit Tower, huh? Why would they go there in the middle of the night?_ It seemed suspicious to me, but I still had a game to win. I turned to look at the coach and smirked. Tonight just keeps getting better.

* * *

><p>It only took us ten minutes to get to the tower. Jasmine was there waiting for us. Training was hell, Jasmine and I had to run up to the top of the tower and back down. Twice. Mimi walked up to the top, not for training, but to see the view. The lights from the city were beautiful.<p>

"Chloe! Come here!" Mimi said, pointing at something in the distance. "Isn't that your apartment building?" I looked out, and then nodded. Pointing out other landmarks, I was glad to have another Mai to talk to.

After a while, Jasmine looked at her watch then turned to Mimi and me. "It's already 8 o'clock. Chloe, can you stand guard up here? I want to take Mimi over to see the rest of Pioneer Park."

"Of course Jazz, text me if you need anything."

She only laughed. "No, Chloe, _you _text _me_ if you see anything suspicious." Mimi took off after her down the stairs.

As they left, I looked up at the stars. Even with all the city lights, the stars were still visible in the night's sky.

* * *

><p>The game was over by 7:30. We won, of course. A bunch of the guys were heading towards Papa's Pizza, but there was something else on my mind: Chloe King. I had known her since I moved here freshman year, but she seemed to always avoid me. At first I thought she was just shy but, after seeing her in the halls at school, I knew there was something else. <em>What did I do?<em> She never even gave me a chance.

Aside from the obvious, (blond, blue eyes, small frame, uses shampoo that smells like watermelon), I knew practically nothing about her. She is friends with Crazy Amy and Comic Book Paul, and she sometimes hangs out with her cousin Jasmine. From the looks of it, the two don't even seem related. Jasmine's mom was a friend of Chloe's parents, rumor has it.

Today wasn't the first time I've talked to Chloe, but it was the first time she talked back. God, she was feisty! In most girls, bitchy is a bad thing. With Chloe, her attitude only made me want to get closer to her.

My phone buzzed in my back pocket. "How was the game? When do you think you'll be home? Don't forget, you have school tomorrow." It was my mum.

I texted her back, "Game was good, we won 53-39, I'll be home by 11."

I was adopted from the UK foster system when I was fourteen. Mum's name is Meredith, but she said I could call her whatever I want. I never had a "Mum" before, I was bounced around foster homes my whole life. No one would adopt a bad-tempered kid from some unknown part of Russia. I wanted Meredith to be like a real mum to me, and she was.

With a sigh, I started walking across town. My friend Tyler had given me a ride to the game, so I had to get there on foot. I wasn't too tired from the game, and I have always been able to see well in the dark, so I figured I would be safe.

_Coit Tower… That's only a few blocks away…_

I took off in that direction. It was cold out, but my light jacket was enough to keep the weather tolerable.

As I neared the tower, I saw Jasmine and the same girl Chloe was with earlier tonight. Jasmine noticed me and blocked my path. "Petrov, what are you doing here?" she asked, her tone fierce and guarded.

"Looking for Chloe. I heard her mention that she was going to the tower and I wanted to meet up with her." I shrugged, trying to contain my irritation. _What was Jasmine's problem?_

Jasmine looked at me for a second, and then turned to the other girl. Though they were trying to be discreet, I heard Jasmine whisper about "Alek," "cat eyes," and "my" something.

I cleared my throat to get her attention. Jasmine gave me a piercing glare, and then laughed. "Go right ahead. Chloe's at the top."

Nodding gratefully at Jasmine, I took in a run. The stairs seemed to be endless, but they had to end sometime. I slowed my pace as I reached to top of the tower. As quietly as I could, I walked towards the blond angel in front of me. I wanted to say something, but what? Everything I could think of sounded stupid, or desperate. I leaned forward to tap her on the shoulder. _Maybe I can finally get her to talk to me._

* * *

><p>I was so distracted by the view that I didn't hear the footsteps behind me until it was too late. The whisper of fabric behind me alerted an attack.<p>

I spun around with my claws out, only to be surrounded by the arms of my would-be attacker. A hand gently lifted my chin up, and I froze. Before I knew it, soft lips covered mine. My heart stopped. I opened my eyes, and then pushed him away.

I gasped.

"Alek?"

* * *

><p><strong>Cliffhanger, hanging from a cliff…<strong>

**Thanks for reading! I hope you like it! Please review, even if you hate it! If I get lots of reviews, I will update soon. "Soon" as in tomorrow, as opposed to later this week.**


	4. Chapter 4

**To Mai Surprise**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Nine Lives of Chloe King, nor do I profit from any of my stories.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

* * *

><p><em>I spun around with my claws out, only to be surrounded by the arms of my would-be attacker. A hand gently lifted my chin up, and I froze. Before I knew it, soft lips covered mine. My heart stopped. I opened my eyes, and then pushed him away. <em>

_I gasped. _

"_Alek?"_

* * *

><p>In a panic, I screamed, pushed him away, and ran. Without my cat-like coordination, I would have tripped as I ran down the stairs.<p>

Suddenly, Jasmine was in front of me. She pulled me down, making me sit on the stairs. "Chloe, we heard you scream. What happened?" She looked over at Mimi, and said "was it Alek? What did he do?" Anger brewed in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry; I shouldn't have let him get close to me. Please don't be mad, I feel bad enough without your help." I said, tears streaming down my face.

Jasmine's gaze softened. "Chloe, what happened?"

"He hugged me, and I let him hug me. Then, he kissed me! I just froze up! I'm sorry!" I wailed. Jasmine put her arm around me.

"Hey, it'll be okay," Mimi moved to sit next to me.

"No! He's going to die! Why did I let him kiss me! Dammit!" I started hiccupping through my sobs. "It was my first kiss! This is the worst thing that's ever happened to me!"

With another sob, I buried my head in my hands.

* * *

><p>Walking down the stairs, I heard voices. Chloe was hysterical. <em>God no...<em> I know I can be a cocky bastard, but it was just a kiss. _Apparently her first kiss..._ Wow. Rejection hurts.

"I know I should have asked first, but you don't have to be so harsh..." I said, my joking tone barely masking how dejected I felt. "Look, we can forget this ever happened."

I started to walk away, disappointed. Well, now I know what they mean by 'you always want what can't have.'

I had only made it a few steps when I heard, "No! Alek, wait!" I shook my head and kept walking. A small hand pulled on my wrist. "Wait! Please," Chloe sounded desperate.

Turning around, I refused to meet her eyes. "Haven't you done enough?"

She pulled on my arm. "Look at me!" Reluctantly, I looked up. Though it was almost completely dark, I could see her bright blue eyes shine with unshed tears.

* * *

><p>His chocolate brown eyes suddenly swirled with gold. As he looked at me, I saw his pupils had turned into thin black slits. How could this be possible? As this sight of golden chocolate burned into my memory, I gave in to every impulse.<p>

I threw myself at Alek, my arms wrapping around his neck, my lips on his. He stiffened for a second, and then slowly rested his arms around my waist. He held me and every residual fear, worry, and nervousness melted away.

He gently nipped my bottom lip; my eyes flew open. I allowed him to deepen our kiss, closing my eyes as I surrendered any ounce of control I had managed to hold on to. My inexperience was the last thing on my mind. Alek was gentle with me; our kiss was filled with both passion and patience.

Alek easily lifted me up off my feet, pulling away from our kiss to bury his face in my hair. "I have waited two years for this moment." He mumbled. His breath in my ear made my heart skip a beat.

* * *

><p>I felt like my heart was beating so loud and so fast that the whole world would hear it. Well, at least Chloe probably could. The rapid speed my heart was beating would have been embarrassing, but I could hear Chloe's heartbeat going just as fast.<p>

Suddenly, I heard a phone ring somewhere behind me. Setting Chloe on the ground, I turned around. It was the other girl, "Mini" or something.

"Where are you?"

"Coit tower, why?"

"Get away. Police reports are coming in; there has been a robbery at an electronics store. The report says it was a group of kids, the cops might think it's you guys."

Mimi looked up. "You guys got all that?" She said, waiting until we all nodded. "Okay, so dad, what's next?" she said into the phone.

"Meet at Valentina's. Make sure you're not seen." The line went dead.

Jasmine grabbed Chloe and took off toward the park exit. The gate was locked, Jasmine reached forward. Her fingernails grew into full-on claws; she used her index finger to pick the padlock. She then pushed through the gate and took off, Chloe and Mimi right behind her.

Confused, I decided that questions can wait until the girls finally stop running. I followed the three girls down alleyways and behind buildings. Police sirens sounded in the background.

Chloe looked around, and then said "I don't think we're being followed." She looked at Jasmine, and then at me.

"Okay, will one of you please tell me what's going on?" I was tired of running.

Jasmine stepped forward. "We're so sorry. There are people who usually talk you through this. This isn't how it's normally done."

_What the...?_ "What's done?" I asked.

"Contact. You transformation was so fast..." Chloe said. She seemed nervous.

"You were born near Novorossiysk, in Russia, right?" Jasmine asked me, something told me she already knew the answer to that...

"Yes but, how did you know that?" These three were getting more suspicious by the minute.

"Not here, we should probably keep moving. Come on." Chloe timidly grabbed my hand, trying to pull me down the street.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no." I stopped her. "I'm not going anywhere with you until I get some answers." Getting irritated, I said, "what's going on with you? Why did you push me away? Why were you crying? What's up with the fingernails on you girls? What's going on?"

Jasmine sighed. "We'll answer all your questions, I promise."

"Well here's one: what the hell are you?" I practically yelled.

Mimi looked at me, and said "You mean, 'what the hell are we?'" I sat down on the curb; this really is one hell of a night.

"We are Mai," Chloe said quietly. My gaze shifted to her. She had yet to release her grip on my hand. I pulled on her arm, causing her to stumble. Jasmine and Mimi sat down on the curb next to me as Chloe went to sit on my other side.

Her hand wasn't really enough, not for me. As Chloe bent over to sit to my right, I gave her hand a sharp tug towards me. She stumbled again, but this time I grabbed her and pulled her into my lap. Chloe inhaled sharply. She looked cold so I wrapped her in my arms, and then looked up at Jasmine expectantly. Now that we were all comfortable, it was time to get on with this insane explanation.

Jasmine spoke first. "Mai. Descendents of an ancient and sacred race. Not completely human, not completely god. The offspring of the goddess Bastet, the most powerful of all the goddesses." I looked at her skeptically. _Bastet?_

"There was a time when we were revered. We advised pharaohs, Mai and humans have a special relationship. We were their sworn protectors." Jasmine continued.

"But then we had a bit of a falling out." Chloe interrupted. "I guess you could say, we got tired of taking orders." She grimaced.

"We broke our sacred bond," Jasmine insisted.

Mimi rolled her eyes, saying, "that's one interpretation..."

Chloe shivered and looked at me. "But we've been hunted for generations."

Jasmine shrugged. "She's being slightly dramatic."

I shook my head. "This truly makes no sense," I grumbled.

Jasmine smirked. "Deep down you know it's true. You always knew you were different," she joked. Then her expression turned serious. "I know this is hard to accept, but this is who you are."

Chloe glared at me, turning in my lap to look me in the eye. "I could kick your ass. Now do you regret being a jerk to me?"

"No," I replied. She sat up straighter to meet my gaze.

"Isn't your girlfriend going to be mad that we kissed?" she asked suspiciously.

"So none of your business," I laughed. "But no, I don't have a girlfriend. I am perfectly and entirely yours."

Chloe lightly punched my shoulder, muttering something about dealing with "cocky bastards."

Jasmine laughed. "Today at school, when you almost kissed Chloe, I swear I almost had a heart attack," she said.

I looked at her, wondering what's wrong with kissing Chloe. Jasmine only sighed. "Mai and humans don't really mix well."

Chloe nodded, her hair swaying against my shoulder. "I guess you could call it a curse. We can't be..." she blushed.

"Intimate." Jasmine finished for her. "Sometimes something even as small as a kiss…"

So Chloe had been avoiding me because of some _sacred rule_? That's ridiculous. "What happens if we kiss?" I asked, my words were joking but I was actually curious.

Chloe frowned. "Depends on the kiss…" she said.

"Paralysis, death, sometimes paralysis then death…." Jasmine said. "But don't worry, not for the Mai. Just for the… human."

Chloe had been avoiding me because… because kissing me could get me killed? _All this time I thought something was wrong with me…_ Turns out, there had been. I looked at the girl trapped in my arms. "So that's why you were crying before? Why you pushed me away?" She nodded. "You thought you were going to kill me?" Chloe nodded then started to cry again.

I looked up at Jasmine and Mimi, wondering what I should do. I have never been good with crying girls; I just can't handle them.

"Maybe we should go back to Jasmine and Chloe's place?" Mimi suggested, helpfully. I looked at my watch. It was only 9 o'clock. I had two hours before I needed to get home to Mum.

* * *

><p><strong>So, what do you think? It's another long chapter, you guys are lucky that it's my senior year and I don't have a life. However, I would love any feedback you can give me. Please review, even if you hate it! If I get enough of reviews, I will update soon. "Soon" as in maybe tomorrow or later this week, as opposed to next week sometime. <strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**To Mai Surprise**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Nine Lives of Chloe King, nor do I profit from any of my stories.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

We ran through alleys and across rooftops, finally making it back to the apartment. Jasmine immediately got on the phone with Aunt Val; Mimi went into the kitchen to talk to her father. I quietly lead Alek into the office, saying, "the radio transcriptions are right in here. They're already decoded for the most part."

While I rummaged through the files on Valentina's desk, Alek studied the paintings on the walls.

"Aunt Val collects artifacts. Most of the stuff here relates to the Mai. The rest of the antiques she collects are at the store. She uses the antiquity collecting as a cover mostly, but she does profit from it. The San Francisco Mai are doing pretty well, but Valentina has her own business." I hand him a card on the table.

"'Valentina Bayar's Precious Antiques,'" he reads aloud. "Isn't that near the vintage clothing shop on 8th? The one you always get coffee at?"

I looked up. "How do you know where I get coffee?" I questioned.

He blushed, saying "I may have seen you there once or twice…" _Was he embarrassed? _I sent him a questioning look.

Alek shrugged. "I don't think I've been in the antique shop, or the clothing shop for that matter. But I do enjoy a good coffee on occasion…"

I laughed, "Are you trying to ask me out?"

Alek raised an eyebrow. "Why? Did you want me to? Can't resist me? Not that I blame you." He smirked and walked over towards the glass display case on the windowsill.

"Hey! Don't touch that!" I yelled. "Those are Valentina's, she will kill you if you mess with her stuff." I walked over towards Alek.

"What are they?" he asked, motioning to the weapons in front of us.

"They are ancient daggers. The one on the left is said to be the Uniter's. The prophecy engraved on the hilt is one of many, all written over two thousand years ago."

Alek pointed at the dagger on the right. "Is that blood? The other one is perfectly clean. Why is this one all…" he shrugged, "gross?"

With a sigh, I answered his question. "The one on the right is cursed by The Order. It will corrupt the soul of any person who lays a hand on the dagger." I turned around. "No one is willing to risk cleaning the blood off…"

"I see." Alek fell into step next to me. "Chloe, what's wrong?" he asked.

"The blood… It's… well…" I struggled to keep my voice steady. Setting down the files I had been holding, I reached into another folder. I pulled out an article that had been ripped out of a newspaper. The words were in Russian, but there was a black-and-white photograph that clearly showed the dagger in question.

Alek took the paper from me. He probably couldn't read Russian, so I told him what it was about. "This dagger was used in the murder of twelve people. Four murders were committed in Russia, the rest in Ukraine." I sighed. "The last two of the murders were in Yalta. I was seven years old."

A flash of recognition passed through his eyes. "Your parents?" I nodded. "Oh Chloe, I'm so sorry! How did you survive?"

"I was hiding. When they came for us, my mother locked me in the cellar and called Aunt Valentina. I had been down there for two hours when Aunt Val showed up. But by then it was too late." Shaking my head, I tried to clear away the feeling of despair. "Anyway…"

There was a sharp knock on the door before Jasmine entered. "We have to leave. Mom wants us to meet her in LA." She turned to look at Alek. "Mr. Vacinni will take you home. I'm sorry, but you two can continue talking tomorrow." I followed her out the door, quickly stopping by my room to grab my overnight bag.

* * *

><p>The remainder of my evening consisted of a quiet car ride home, a brief recap of my game for Mum's benefit, and a restless night's sleep. The Mai were invading my thoughts. <em>Was it even physically possible? What should I tell Mum? <em>If I started acting weird all of a sudden, she was bound to be suspicious.

When I finally fell asleep, my dreams were haunted by the blond angel with blue cat eyes. Chloe King. Chloe Diane King, to be specific. My dream could have been sexual, no. A sexy dream about Chloe would be much better. Embarrassing? Of course. But no. I dreamed of battle, of Chloe risking her life to save me.

I woke up in a cold sweat. The clock read "6:23" so I thought I might as well get out of bed. Mum was already off to work by the time I made it downstairs, but she left a note telling me that she would be home early tomorrow to make dinner. Though Mum's cooking was nothing to brag about, I enjoyed hating our weekly family dinners. The mandatory dinners were a welcome annoyance; they made me feel... normal. I'm sure if I had grown up with a regular family, I would be irritated to the extreme.

A car horn honked from the driveway. Ty was here to pick me up. I didn't have my license, much less a car, so the guys always made fun of me.

I felt like a zombie as walked the halls at school. Everything had changed, but everything was really still the same. Whether it was my new powers kicking in, or if it was just all in my head, I felt different. Walking past groups of people in the halls, I picked up not bits and pieces of conversation but a sea of voices surrounding me. I was fine during my first two classes because I didn't talk to anyone in math or science. My English class, on the other hand, had become an explosion of sound. The teacher barely noticed me make my escape; she was focused on getting the classes attention. I made my way to the nurse's office. _Maybe if I lie down and sleep, my headache will go away..._

When the bell rang, I woke up. The commotion in the halls signaled lunch. I got up, shut out all the noise of the students, and walked towards the cafeteria. Looking around, I didn't see Chloe. I didn't see Jasmine either... About to leave, I spotted Chloe's friends, the two weird ones. They whispered about me as I walked up to them. The girl, Amy, looked at me as I approached.

"Do either of you know where Chloe is? Or Jasmine?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

"Maybe, why?" said the guy suspiciously. His name is Paul, I think.

"No reason, just wondering..." I replied. _Oh, so now these two hate me to?_ I turned to go.

"Hey, wait!" said a voice behind me, Amy sounded pissed. I turned around, just in time to feel her hand rest threateningly on my neck. "If you mess with Chloe, you'll regret it. She has been hurt too many times already." Suddenly, the bell rang. With a glare, Amy grabbed Paul's hand and stomped off. With a sigh, I took off to my next class. More than anything, I wanted to go back to the way things were a week ago. _No worries, no problems, no crazy cat-girls... or their friends..._

* * *

><p>When I got home after school, Mum was already cooking dinner. Not wanting to have to endure anything burnt, I offered to help. Over the years, I have learned to fend for myself, so I could cook pretty well. Better than Mum could, that's for sure. Cooking with her was always fun. In the past, I felt like I could talk to her about anything.<p>

I could come to her with questions about girls, sex, school, etc. She noticed right away that I had something weighing me down. Deciding that I wasn't ready to talk about the Mai yet, I opted for a different explanation. "Well, there's this girl..." I said, as her eyes lit up.

"Oh Alek! You know my opinion on your taste in girlfriends..." She started, but I interrupted her.

"No Mum, she's not like any of them. We're not even dating." I sighed.

"Are you going to ask her?" Mum asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

"I don't know. Chloe has rejected every guy who asked her out in the past. And—"

"Alek! Is this about Chloe? Chloe King? I knew it! I knew you weren't over her!" Mum laughed, then reverted back to questioning. "I thought she refused to talk to you? So, what happened? Why her?" She turned from the stove to look at me. "After all this time... you're still in love with her!"

I only shrugged, no sense in lying. "Yeah, I think so," I sheepishly replied, mentally preparing myself for further interrogation.

* * *

><p>Mum and I talked for an hour, then she went to bed while I did the dishes. Tomorrow was a Friday. Might as well get ready for bed as well. I went upstairs, took off my shoes and jacket, and was about to go shower when I heard a noise outside my window.<p>

Sitting on the open window sill, I saw a small shadow on the roof. I quickly stood up, but was conflicted. _Should I run inside, or investigate?_ The question was answered for me when the shadow disappeared.

The figure reappeared, this time a foot away from me.

I looked up, only to meet the eyes that had haunted me for the past 24 hours. "Chloe?" I asked, though I knew it was her.

She looked up, meeting my eyes. "Alek, we need to talk."

* * *

><p><strong>Hey everyone! I really didn't want to post this chapter because I didn't get very many reviews. I'm a very spiteful person, you see. <strong>

**If I don't get enough reviews, I won't publish Chapter 6. Yes, I will write it. But if I don't have enough reviews, I just won't post it.**

**I know there are people reading my work, I get emails all the time saying that people are following me. That is awesome and all, but I really like reviews. They make me happy. Trust me, you all would prefer that I be happy.**

**Much love and appreciation,**

**_Crimson Crow_**


	6. Chapter 6

**To Mai Surprise**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Nine Lives of Chloe King, nor do I profit from any of my stories.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

* * *

><p><em>The figure reappeared, this time a foot away from me.<em>

_I looked up, only to meet the eyes that had haunted me for the past 24 hours. "Chloe?" I asked, though I knew it was her._

_She looked up, meeting my eyes. "Alek, we need to talk."_

* * *

><p>Alek looked at me, his eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness.<p>

"Talk? About the Mai? Can it wait until morning?" He looked exhausted; I felt guilty, but I needed to work things out between us.

"No, not really. I want to talk about us…" His expression changed. "I mean, I just want you to know that I've always liked me. And earlier tonight…" I trailed off.

Alek blushed. "You heard me talking to my mum earlier?" When I nodded he only sighed. "So, where does that leave us?" he asked, his eyes pleading.

"Here, right now, on your roof. I'm here if you want me." He laughed and threw an arm around my shoulders.

"So, why are you here? You weren't at school today…" He held me closer, saying, "I wanted to show you off to all of my friends!"

After laughing, I struggled to regain my composure. "I was asleep. Jasmine and I drove to Las Angeles, and Aunt Valentina wanted to us to meet people once we arrived." With a grumble, I continued. "The other pride leaders are worried. The guards have picked up some chatter recently; they say that someone probably saw us on Telegraph Hill yesterday."

Alek looked worried. "Wouldn't it be in the news?" he asked.

"Not really, depends on who saw us," I explained. "If it is some crazy college student with a camera, that's no big deal. If it's the cops, only a slightly large sized deal. If it's The Order…."

Alek turned my shoulders so I was facing him. "Chloe, what if it's The Order?"

"Whenever Mai are sighted in the states, they send a few assassins to eliminate any threats. If they know we're here, it wouldn't be in the news." Alek looked up, confused. "The Order controls the media. They wouldn't let a story get out to the public. They would want the element of surprise," I explained.

"To be honest, I would prefer that it was the cops caught us. I would rather be arrested for suspicion of robbery than stuck sitting around wondering when The Order will show up…" I shivered.

"Do you think they know that I'm Mai?" Alek wondered aloud.

I shook my head, saying, "I have no idea. Even if they know, there's nothing we can do."

"Really?" Alek yawned.

"The Order is notorious for their scheming…" I looked at my watch. "We should be fine for tonight. You should get some sleep.

Alek opens his mouth to argue, but I cut him off. "Just go get ready for bed. You look half asleep already." He nodded, and then climbed back through his window. I heard him turn on the shower.

Aunt Valentina had insisted that one of us watched the area around Alek's house tonight, in case anything happened. I had volunteered; it seemed like the perfect time to talk to him. I heard a noise behind me, and turned around.

"Alek, I thought I told you to—" I stopped talking when Alek threw a blanket across my legs. His leather jacket fell onto my shoulders. Turning around, I smiled at him. He was only wearing his boxers. _Damn!_ Attempting to seem indifferent, I failed miserably. Alek turned to go, but stopped.

"One more thing," he said, leaning in close. Placing a gentle kiss on my cheek, he backed away with a smirk. "Good night love."

* * *

><p><em>Dammit, Alek!<em> He was teasing me! _He had better not make a habit of it…_

Wide awake from sleeping all day, I sat on Alek's roof listening to his steady breathing. He had fallen asleep the moment his head hit his pillow. Not bored at all, my thoughts were filled with of a mix of lust and worry. Lust for the sexy Brit in bed ten feet from me, worry due to Aunt Val's words.

She hadn't changed her trip itinerary, she was still due to return to San Francisco in two weeks. Without her, it was hard to feel particularly safe. Valentina had always been with me, ever since my parents were killed. She had trained me for almost nine years. It wasn't unusual for her to leave for months at a time, but it was rare that she sent someone to take her place while she was away.

At the meeting in LA, Aunt Val had told us that she was sending someone to manage her antique store until November. I had never met him, but he was supposed to be some big shot from Nevada. His father was the Las Vegas pride leader, so we were supposed to trust him. I have faith in Valentina's judgment but that's not stopping the countdown until her return.

It seemed like it took forever for my phone to buzz its morning alarm. I had been studying the rooftops, not for attackers, but for a good place to watch the sunrise. When my phone went off at 5am, I called Jasmine. She told me to head home and get ready for school.

I was about to take off when I had an idea. As quietly as I could, I snuck into Alek's bedroom. I put the blanket Alek had given me back across his chest. With a slight giggle at his sleeping expression, I kissed his forehead.

With a spring in my step, I raced across the rooftops. When I got back to the apartment, I took a nice long shower. The hot water was nice, but the memory of how sweet Alek had been was what really warmed my soul. After toweling off, I put on a pair of jeans and an old band t-shirt.

Hearing voices in the kitchen, I grabbed Alek's jacket and walked out the door. Putting it on, I almost ran into a young man making his way across the room.

He laughed and smiled, saying, "sorry about that. I wasn't watching where I was going."

I reached to shake his hand. "Aunt Valentina sent you?" I asked. When he nodded, I said, "It shouldn't be too much work; the antique shop gets practically no business as it is." I laughed. "I'm Chloe King, by the way," I informed him.

The guy nodded, saying, "It's nice to meet you. I'm Brian. Brian Rezza."

* * *

><p><strong>So, what do you think? I would love any feedback you can give me. Don't make me threaten to stop posting! You might hate the threats, but have you ever published anything? Feedback is necessarily. And honestly, I need to know if you guys like where the story is going.<strong>

**Please review, even if you hate it! If I get enough of reviews, I will update soon. **


	7. Chapter 7

**To Mai Surprise**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Nine Lives of Chloe King, nor do I profit from any of my stories.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

* * *

><p><em>When he nodded, I said, "It shouldn't be too much work; the antique shop gets practically no business as it is." I laughed. "I'm Chloe King, by the way," I informed him.<em>

_The guy nodded, saying, "It's nice to meet you. I'm Brian. Brian Rezza."_

* * *

><p>I looked up at him, taking in his appearance for the first time. He was tall, but not as tall as Alek. Brian looked about six feet tall, while Alek was roughly 6'3". Sure, this new Mai was attractive, cute even. Brian had short brown hair, and dull brown eyes, but the chemistry just wasn't there. He didn't look old enough to be Aunt Valentina's new second-in-command.<p>

"You don't even look out of college yet," I commented. "I'm surprised Aunt Val agreed to this."

Brian only laughed, saying, "freshman in college actually. And, from what I've heard, Valentina didn't really have much of a choice." He frowned. "My father can be… forceful… at times."

I nodded. "Makes sense." I heard Jasmine clear her throat and looked at the clock. I was already running late for school. "See ya!" I yelled, closing the door. Jasmine and I took off down the elevator and ran to the garage. Climbing into her navy blue pick-up, I mentally prepared myself for school.

_If word gets out about me and Alek… I'm screwed._

* * *

><p>After Tyler dropped me off, I walked around campus looking for Chloe. I wanted to give her a hug. As whipped as it seems, I was disappointed when I found Chloe missing. She had been in my room, <em>that much I'm sure of.<em> When I woke up, my red fleece blanket was tucked around my body. Not only that, it was still warm, Chloe's watermelon scent still lingered on the fabric.

Sighting Amy and Paul, I paused to sit on a hidden bench in the courtyard. I heard Chloe's friends yelling at her and decided to eavesdrop.

* * *

><p>"Oh my God! Chloe!" Amy screeched. "Where were you yesterday? You didn't answer any of my calls, you didn't text me back, I was so worried!" She wrapped arms around me in a bear hug.<p>

"I'm fine," I started to speak, only to be cut off by more yelling.

"Chloe! Alek was looking for you! Yesterday! Aleksander Benjamin Petrov was looking for you! Jasmine is going to be so pissed! I know you like him, but he's off limits!"

I started to explain myself, but it was no use. "I don't blame you, but still!" Amy shook her head, and then froze. "Miss Chloe King. What the hell are you wearing!" She stared at me as if I had come to school naked.

I looked down. _Shit_. I was wearing his jacket. Crossing my arms over my chest, I tried to cover the patch on the sleeve. It read 'Петров' in faded gold letters, the Russian spelling for 'Petrov.' It was too late.

"Don't you dare try to hide it!" Amy yelled, grabbing my arms. "Explain yourself. Now!"

"Amy, I'm sorry I haven't said anything about it, but it's all happened so fast, and I wasn't even sure about it until, well, I'm still not even sure about it…" I rambled on, stopping only when I saw Amy's mouth drop open.

Suddenly strong arms wrapped around my shoulders. I whipped around, only to be swept up in a passionate kiss from the Brit himself.

Somewhere in the background, Paul mumbled under his breath, "speak of the devil and he shall appear…"

A rich accent filled my ears as Alek said, "Well don't you look nice today. Though the jacket is a bit big on you…" He smirked. "I will be seeing you later, okay love?" He stalked off to meet up with his jock friends, leaving Amy, Paul, and me stunned.

Paul was the first to regain his voice. "Is Alek Mai?" I nodded.

"You two are… dating?" Amy whispered.

Nodding again, I said, "I _think_ so…"

Paul's eyes lit up. He seemed excited to have a fellow guy to answer his questions, since us girls could barely tolerate his obsession. "Is Alek your mate or something? Are you guys going to have kittens? Or would it be cubs, like lions or tigers…"

I blushed at Paul's last question as Amy smacked him. "That was rude Pauly!" she whispered, then turned to me. The look on her face meant that she was going to need all the details later.

Finding a way to make it up to her, I offered to let her sleepover at the apartment tonight. "Why don't we spend tonight raiding my closet and Jasmine's shoe collection? We could have some girl time and then prep for your big date tomorrow?"

The Alek drama momentarily forgotten, Amy burst into ideas. By the time the bell rang and students started making their way to class, we had planned our weekend. Tonight was 'Girl's Night.' Tomorrow, Amy and Paul would go out to the new Italian restaurant while Jasmine and I threw a birthday party for Mimi. I figure we can make reservations at Benihana and invite all the Mai, then us teens can head to Ground Zero at 9. Since Aunt Valentina wasn't going to be there, the only adult we had to deal with was Mr. Vacinni. It was Mimi's sweet-16, so he just couldn't say no.

* * *

><p>At roughly 4 o' clock, Amy and Mimi showed up at the apartment. Mimi was staying at a hotel with her dad, but only until they found an apartment with adequate security.<p>

We decided to watch chick flicks and gossip, trading secrets while sprawled out on the living room couch. I filled Amy in on everything that happened between me and Alek while I painted her nails. Though Jasmine and Mimi were both single, they had their own boy troubles.

A hot Russian had caught Jasmine's eye on our trip to LA; apparently he used to have a crush on Jasmine when she was little. Over time, the short, geeky boy had grown into a tough guy. His facebook page, which Jasmine stalked incessantly, revealed him to be single and currently residing in San Diego.

Mimi, on the other hand, was still in mourning. Her first real relationship had ended only recently, but the two of them had been falling apart for years. Things between them had been fine until he moved away. They had kept in touch with the help of modern-day technology, but both Mimi and her ex had agreed that continuing the relationship was too depressing.

Upon seeing Mimi's tears, Jasmine and I ran to our shared bathroom. Hiding in the cabinets was the mini-fridge where they stored all sorts of perishable junk food. Since Aunt Valentina was so strict about our training routine, she wouldn't let us eat anything that wasn't insanely healthy. Pulling out a two-liter of root beer and a tub of vanilla ice cream, they made floats to cheer everybody up.

* * *

><p>We woke up at 1:30 in the afternoon the next day, all four of us getting a solid 9 hours of sleep. Leisurely, we showered and picked out clothes for the day. In a crazy explosion of inexperienced baking, we tried, failed, and tried again to make a birthday cake for Mimi. Finally giving up, we sat around covered in flour and powdered sugar, eating the salvaged icing.<p>

After hours of trying on, and rejecting, outfits, hair and makeup, and fighting over who got to wear the best shoes, we were all ready to go.

After much debate, I had decided to wear Alek's jacket again. I sent him and Brian a text, telling them to meet us at the restaurant and giving them the address on Post Street. With a quick call to Mr. Vacinni, telling him to pick up a good ice cream cake from Baskin-Robbins, we were on our way.

First we dropped Amy off at Paul's house, and then we drove across town to Benihana. I had never been there before, but apparently it was Mimi's favorite restaurant. Arriving first, the three of us took our seats to wait for the guys to show up. We were distracted by the chief making our appetizers that we didn't notice when Mimi's dad came to sit with us.

Mesmerized, we were only brought back to reality when we heard voices coming our way. Looking towards the doorway, both Alek and Brian were talking as they made their way towards us. From what I could hear, Alek was extremely excited. He was finally getting his license. Brian sat down to talk to Mr. Vacinni while Alek settled in the seat to my right.

Sensing tension, I looked at Mimi, who was seated on my other side. Her expression remained blank, but her entire body was ridged. Worried, I announced that I wanted to use the restroom before we ordered. Jumping up, Mimi offered to go with me.

* * *

><p>Once inside the classy ladies room, and shielded by the heavy din of the kitchen, I questioned Mimi. "Mimi, what's going on?" I was concerned. "Did something happen? Are you okay?"<p>

She nodded frantically, trying to steady her breathing. Then she looked at the ground and whispered, "it's Brian."

Confused, I said, "What about him? Did he do something?"

She shook her head, regaining her composure. "No! It's Brian! The guy I told you guys about last night! It's Brian. He's my ex!"

* * *

><p><strong>So, what do you think? Having panic attacks yet? Another twist! Bet you didn't see that one coming! <strong>

**As always, feedback is important. I love you all, but I cannot show my love if I don't know what people think of my fanfic.**

**Please review, even if you hate it! **

**If I get enough of reviews, I will update soon. **


	8. Chapter 8

**To Mai Surprise**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Nine Lives of Chloe King, nor do I profit from any of my stories.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

* * *

><p><em>She shook her head, regaining her composure. "No! It's Brian! The guy I told you guys about last night! It's Brian. He's my ex!"<em>

* * *

><p>"Why didn't you say something?" I asked. "He didn't even look at you!"<p>

Mimi sighed, saying, "My father doesn't know. Brian is three years older than me, so Dad doesn't even approve of him being my friend!"

I handed her a tissue. "How long were you two together?"

"Um, about two years," Mimi sobbed. "He lived with his mom for forever, and then he went to stay with his dad in Vegas. We tried to keep in touch, but a month later I moved to Denmark."

Giving her a hug, I told her not to worry. "You two can talk plenty once we get to the club. From what I've heard, Brian is here to stay." Mimi smiled up at me. "Do you have his cell number?" I asked, wondering how to fix things.

Mimi's smile fell. "No, and I doubt he has mine either…" she trailed off.

"Don't worry, I have a plan." I took her hand and lead her back out to join our friends.

* * *

><p>After overindulging in sashimi and teppanyaki, our waiter brought out the ice cream cake. To fully embarrass Mimi, all the waiters sang 'Happy Birthday' in Japanese. Sixteen candles were lit as we set our gifts on the table. Once the candles were out and the cake was served, Mimi carefully unwrapped our gifts.<p>

Mr. Vacinni gave his daughter a gold necklace, the symbol of Bastet glistening in the lamplight. Aunt Valentina had mailed a card, upon opening it revealed a $400 gift card to Victoria's Secret. With an embarrassed laugh, Mimi reached for the next gift.

Amy, Jasmine, and I had pooled our money together to get a giant makeup kit. With thousands of shades of eyeliner, eyeshadow, lipstick, and nail polish, it was a dream come true. Mimi laughed when she opened it, knowing full well that we planned to take advantage of it just as much as she did.

Alek, being the player he is, brought her a bouquet of flowers. I was a bit jealous, but they were just carnations.

The last gift was an ugly hat with cat ears, from Brian. Mimi smiled and laughed, as if sharing an inside joke with her ex. Mr. Vacinni offered to take all of Mimi's gifts to the car while we drove off to the club. On the way out, I invited Brian to come with us. After asking him for his cell number, we decided to meet up at Ground Zero.

* * *

><p>In the car, I discreetly send a text to Mimi, giving her Brian's number. She started texting him, and then poked my shoulder. Alek looked really irritated, but I simply looked down at Mimi's phone.<p>

Motioning to the picture of a kitten, Mimi said, "my real gift!"

"What? Is your dad going to let you keep it?" I asked, worried that Mimi would get her hopes up.

"Of course not! But, _he_ knows that," she explained. "He said I can keep it at his apartment and that I'm welcome anytime!" she practically squealed. "And, he says I get to name it!"

She looked thoughtful for a second, and then typed on her phone. "Charlie! I want to name it Charlie."

Her phone buzzed and I looked at her reply. Apparently the kitten was a girl. Mimi pouted, saying, "still Charlie. I always wanted a cat named Charlie." Which, of course, settled the matter entirely.

Mimi reached over me to show the picture to Alek. He muttered something rude, turning away. Giving up, Mimi offered to show Jasmine when she wasn't driving.

I looked at Alek. He looked angry, and I didn't know why. "Alek?" I asked, resting a hand on his arm.

He looked at me, and then asked, "why? Why did you ask for Brian's number? You never wanted my number, and I don't have yours either…"

I laughed. _Alek? Jealous?_ I decided to cut him some slack. Grabbing his phone, I quickly punched my number in and texted myself. Upon receiving the text, I saved the number as a contact on my phone. "Happy?" I pout at him.

He nods, bringing me into his arms for a kiss as the car slows to a stop.

* * *

><p>The club was pretty good; there was live music, a punchbowl, even a bouncer. I danced with Chloe, and she was a surprisingly good dancer. The bass was insanely loud, and I'm sure my enhanced hearing wasn't helping. After a few songs, Chloe pauses in her grinding against my hips to pull my head down into a kiss. <em>She was wild, <em>definitely more god then human.

Breaking away from the kiss, I grabbed her hand and lead her over to the table and chairs. She giggled when I pulled out a chair for her to sit down. I brought over another glass of punch for her. She had been dancing much more enthusiastic than me, and I didn't want her getting dehydrated.

Chuckling quietly, played with Chloe's hair. She had worn it down tonight; her ringlets rivaled those of an 18th century gentlewoman. She finished her punch and looked up at the dance floor. Spotting, Jasmine dancing alone, I urged Chloe to join her. Watching Chloe dance was almost as fun as dancing with her. _Almost._

"Hey, Alek!" said a voice behind me. I turned around, sighting Tyler behind me. With him were three other guys from the team, each baring the same mischievous grin. "Tonight's going to be the _shittt_!"

"What are you guys planning?" I said, suspiciously. Tyler pulled out a flask, but it seemed to already be too late. Tyler and the rest of the guys were already buzzed.

"Vodka, man!" one of the guys yelled. He looked full-out drunk. I turned around to look for Chloe. She was no longer dancing, but sitting next to Jasmine at a table.

"Don't do it, come on guys!" I tried to convince them, but they just laughed.

"Too late!" Ty was doubled over, laughing. "We spiked it like an hour ago! There are so many tipsy girls!"

Shoving him out of the way, I ran to Chloe's table. She was asleep on Jasmine's shoulder.

"They spiked the punch?" Jasmine was furious. "Did you have any?" When I shook my head, she motioned to the sleeping girl. "Take her home. Call a cab, carry her, take her to your place, I don't care."

Shaking Chloe awake, I told her that we were leaving. Across the room I saw Jasmine talking to Brian and Mimi, and decided to leave. I walked with Chloe for a few blocks before hailing a taxi. Getting in the cab, I told the driver Chloe's address.

"Hey! Hey! I don't want to go home! If you take me back home, I will just sneak to your house anyway." I nodded with a sigh, and then told the driver where to go. Before we were even halfway home, Chloe was asleep again.

* * *

><p>I woke up, startled to realize I was not at home. I wasn't in Alek's bed; I was in Alek's <em>arms<em>. Pulling back the comforter, I was relieved to see we still had most of our clothes on. With my booty shorts and tanktop still on, I wasn't wearing my socks or shoes. Below me, and touching the right side of my body, was Alek's bare chest.

Slowly, the night's activities came back into memory. Though muddled, I remember being really sleepy, and Alek telling me that someone had spiked the punch. I hadn't wanted to go home; Jasmine would give me hell, so I made him bring me back to his place.

Speaking about Alek, he was currently still asleep and, thankfully, still wearing his dark-wash jeans from last night. With a slight whimper, Alek pulled me closer to him. He was warm, wrapping me protectively in his arms. It was so comfortable that I wondered what woke me up in the first place.

About to go back to sleep, I was interrupted when my phone buzzed from the nightstand. Picking it up, I read my texts.

Two messages from Amy, one said: "Paul is acting weird. I think someone spiked the punch." The other said: "I can't find you, but I just wanted you to know that I'm driving Paul home."

Jasmine sent me: "I'm home, text me if you need anything."

Finally, there were three texts from Mimi. "Chloe, something happened last night, I need some help." I quickly scrolled to the next one. "Okay, so I'm at Brians, I'm safe, don't worry. I just need someone to talk to…" The last text said: "I talked things over with Brian, but please give me a call when you get this."

I rolled out of Alek's bed, covering him up with the blankets. Dialing Mimi's number, I didn't know what to expect.

She answered the phone on the first ring, saying, "Chloe? Okay, so Jasmine said someone spiked the punch." She seemed flustered as she continued on. "Brian took me back to his place last night to see Charlie, and one thing lead to another, and I slept with him!"

"Mimi, what happened? What can I do to help?" I pleaded, worried about the consequences of her actions.

"I don't think we used… protection…"

I stopped her. "Mimi, you _think_ you didn't use protection? You either did or you didn't!"

"Well," she whined, "I only remember bits and pieces. Don't blame Brian; I worked it out with him. We got back together before we even got to the club."

"Okay, well let's go get Jasmine and Amy, and we can figure all of this out." I sighed, and then went to wake Alek.

* * *

><p>After a long lecture from Jasmine and an eye-roll from Amy, the four of us set off for the Planned Parenthood. Since we were all teenagers, and since Amy, Mimi, and I all had boyfriends, we decided to stock up on supplies. We bought a ton of condoms, a few emergency 'Plan-B' packages, a handful of pregnancy tests, and a year's worth of oral contraceptives each. It was better to be prepared for anything than risk another panic attack.<p>

After much convincing, Mimi agreed to tell her dad about her and Brian's relationship. He didn't need to know the grotesque details, but it wasn't good to keep him completely in the dark.

* * *

><p>Mimi and Alek tagged along with us for sparing. After training, we asked Brian and Mr. Vacinni to meet us in the park. A tense moment passed before Mimi started talking.<p>

"Daddy, I know you don't like Brian. But there's something I have to tell you." She sounded nervous so Brian put his arm around her for comfort. "Daddy, Brian and I are dating. We have been dating for over two years."

"No. No you are not." Mr. Vacinni was furious. "You are not dating, and you are definitely not going to see him ever again!"

Mimi grabbed her father's arm. "Daddy! But—" He suddenly pushed her off, sending her tumbling to the ground. Brian ran over to her, lifting her up.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Mr. Vacinni's eyes shifted, his claws came out.

"No! Dad, I can do whatever I like!" Mimi was sobbing. "Don't do this! Please!" Her father pulled a .38 Smith & Wesson from the waistband of his pants.

"Get away from her!" He pointed the revolver threaten at the frantic couple.

Brian swiftly moved Mimi behind him and tried to knock the gun from the man's hands. The gun went off, the bullet flying not towards Brian, but towards the three onlookers.

Before I could even react, I was on the concrete. Alek was pinning me down to the ground, covered in blood. "NO! Alek!" I scrambled over to try to stop the bleeding. The gunshot wound was too close to his heart, he wouldn't last long.

His eyes fluttered open. "Chlo…Chloe?" he whispered.

I leaned down, close to his face. "Alek! Shhh, don't talk. Please, be okay. I love you! Don't leave me…" I broke down in sobs.

"No….." I whimpered, as Alek's eyes closed one final time.

"No, please….." I whispered, one final breath left his body.

* * *

><p><strong>Wow. That was stressful. I would have this posted hours ago but I was distracted. My boyfriend wants to be 'just friends' and we all know how that goes. Yay, drama! NOT. Anyway…<strong>

**As always, feedback is important. I do take your advice into consideration, but I love encouragement. Your reviews make me want to update a.s.a.p.**

**Please review, even if you hate it! **


	9. Chapter 9

**To Mai Surprise**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Nine Lives of Chloe King, nor do I profit from any of my stories.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Alek's eyes closed one final time.<em>

"_No, please….." I whispered, one final breath left his body._

* * *

><p><em>thump<em>

My chest burned. The fire spread across my body, the pain was almost too much.

_thump_

My eyes were closed, but I know it was dark. Black, everything was black.

_thump_

My skin froze. Cold. Everything was cold.

_then..._

_silence_

My feet were warm. I looked down. Sand. Golden grains of sand ran between my toes.

Flashed of light hit my eyes. People and places.

From my past. From my present. From my future.

Russia, with its cold snowy winter.

Chloe, her laugh. Her smile.

Mum, the first time she met. She gave me a hug, the first hug I had gotten in about ten years.

_thump_

I felt my heart warming.

_thump_

I saw beauty. Blinding white light, taking over my mind.

_thump_

I heard voices. Crying, yelling, filling my sensitive ears.

_thump_

* * *

><p>The most beautiful sound hit my ears. His heart was beating once again. <em>What the hell?<em> I didn't believe it. In shock, I clung to Alek's body. Suddenly, his eyes flew open as he gasped for air.

"Alek!" I yelled, holding him close.

Jasmine knelt down next to us, checking his pulse. She reached down to pick the bloody bullet from the asphalt, saying, "It went straight through. That should have killed you."

Golden chocolate cat eyes looked up, slowly shifting back to their usual dark brown. He tried to speak but was interrupted by yelling voices behind us.

"You're still alive?" Mr. Vacinni asked, still pinned down by Brian's wrath.

"Sorry to disappoint," came Alek's voice.

Jasmine spoke first. "Only the Uniter has nine lives to live."

I was stunned. "There's no way…"

Jasmine continued, "and nine lives to endure. We have to talk to my mom." She whipped out her phone and dialed.

Mr. Vacinni yelled as we walked off. "Wait!"

"If you come anywhere near us, I will kill you." Brian's gentle voice was filled with rage.

* * *

><p>Heading back to the apartment once Jasmine was done talking to Aunt Valentina, I wrapped up Alek's wound with the emergency first-aid kit. Aunt Val was coming down for a few days to sort everything out. Once we get to the apartment, we start making a plan for the next week.<p>

Tomorrow was Monday, but there was no way we were going to school. We would probably skip; just have Aunt Val call us in sick. The only issue was Alek's mom. We had to get him home before she noticed he was gone. He probably could explain his absence, but not his injury.

Valentina would be here in roughly 7 hours, and then we would figure this whole thing out. It was already past midnight, so Jasmine drove Alek home. I knew she would watch over him to make sure he was alright, but I was restless. Worried and sleepless, I decided to go to him. Exiting the apartment building, I ran across the rooftops.

Knocking on Alek's window, I was surprised to find him awake.

"Miss me?" Alek's tired eyes had a mischievous spark in them. He was sitting up on his bed, running his hands nervously through his hair. "So… I'm supposed to be the Uniter? Who am I going to 'unite'?"

"Well, the prophecy says you're going to bring together the races of the world. Most of the Mai believe that the Uniter will destroy the Order." I sighed, then continued saying, "others… Well, the Order believes that the Uniter is the one who will massacre the humans, a full-force Armageddon."

Alek was silent for a moment, then said, "and? What do you believe?"

"I don't know what to believe. I do know that the prophecy is really vague; it doesn't say anything about Mai or humans. It just says that there as a 'Uniter' and that person will bring peace." I yawned loudly, lying down.

"Kitten, what are you doing?" Alek attempted to grab me but I didn't care. When he wrestled me on top of him, I only snuggled in closer. Somewhere, deep in my heart, I knew that I trusted him with my life.

He whispered into my ear, saying, "I remember what you said, right before I died. I just want you to know, I love you too. I've loved you for years."

I drifted off to sleep, dreaming of warm desert sands.

* * *

><p>It was 8 o' clock in the morning when my phone rang. Aunt Valentina was back, but only for two days. Jasmine wanted to know if we were going to school. I told her 'no,' and that we would be back to the apartment in about an hour.<p>

Alek was asleep still, so I took a moment to check his wounds. Lifting up his bandages, I was shocked. His chest was completely healed, only a scar remaining. Sliding off the bloody gauze, I balled it up and threw it into a trashcan.

With a kiss, I woke Alek up. He smiled and once again pinned me below him. I playfully tried to push him off of me, but stopped when his lips met mine. Though his strength was overpowering me, his kiss was gentle. Using his arms to keep his weight off me, Alek settled between my legs.

I closed my eyes, surrendering myself. He ran his tongue over my bottom lip, nipping at it until I let him in. As soon as our kiss deepened, it became a battle once more. Having more experience than me, Alek eventually won. Massaging my mouth, Alek explored to his satisfaction. Apparently moving on, he trailed hot kisses down my neck.

Startled, I gasped as he nipped at my pulse point. Distracted by the feeling of his mouth, I failed to remember that such ministrations would leave me a hickey. Pulling his body closer to me, I felt his excitement pressing into my thigh. I would have been offended or disturbed, but there was nothing wrong with it.

With a laugh, I said: "We should probably get going before they send someone after us." I glanced down at Alek's erection. "Not that this isn't fun," I said with a smirk.

Alek looked embarrassed and rolled off of me. Blushing, he stuttered, "sorry… I…"

"Don't worry about, I'm flattered," I laughed. "It's only natural; if it didn't happen I might be worried."

He shrugged sheepishly, and then hauled himself out of bed. "Mum should be at work by now. I'm going to take a quick shower. You can go down and get some breakfast if you want, we have cereal." Alek rested his hand on my rear, saying, "now run along, kitten. Unless you want to join me?"

I smacked his arm away, running down the stairs.

* * *

><p>After eating, we made our way back to the apartment. Aunt Valentina was already in her office, talking on the phone. Noticing our presence, she finished talking and hung up. Motioning Alek to follow, I introduced him to Aunt Val.<p>

"Aunt Valentina, this is Aleksander Petrov. Alek, this is Valentina Bayar, the leader of the San Francisco Mai." I sat down on the couch next to Alek.

"Roberto Vacinni will be transferred to the German Pride; Mirella Vacinni has been placed under my care." Jasmine, it seemed, had already filled Aunt Val on the details of last night. "While I don't condone the actions of Miss Vacinni and Mr. Rezza, I can do nothing. When Mai fall in love, there is no stopping it."

She turned around to pick up a heavy reference book and an ancient scroll. The text I knew about, it was a translated collection of prophecies. The scroll, I assumed, was the original document, written in Latin, Greek, and hieroglyphics.

"This section here speaks of the Uniter, the one who will bring the world together." Aunt Valentina gestured to the translated text.

* * *

><p><em><strong>"Nine lives to live, nine lives to endure.<strong>_

_**Each life harder than the last, each death more painful than the one before.**_

_**The Uniter will lead the new world order, a guide to those before.**_

_**Raising hope from the grave, inviting open Death's door."**_

* * *

><p>Valentina pointed to the original text, written on the lengthy scroll. There was a large picture accompanying it.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>As always, feedback is important. Please, let me know what you think! There is more to the prophecy than you all thought.<strong>

**Please review, even if you hate it! **


	10. Chapter 10

**To Mai Surprise**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Nine Lives of Chloe King, nor do I profit from any of my stories.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

* * *

><p><em><strong>"Nine lives to live, nine lives to endure.<strong>_

_**Each life harder than the last, each death more painful than the one before.**_

_**The Uniter will lead the new world order, a guide to those before.**_

_**Raising hope from the grave, inviting open Death's door."**_

* * *

><p><em>Valentina pointed to the original text, written on the lengthy scroll. There was a large picture accompanying it.<em>

* * *

><p>The picture was of eight of the Egyptian gods, all in their animal form. I recognized three of them, but the rest I didn't remember. The aged parchment held the likeness of Bastet, the goddess of the Mai, in feline form. Next to her was the dog, Anubis. The other god I recognized was Horus, a falcon. I didn't know the names of the other gods and goddesses.<p>

"Who are they?" I asked Aunt Valentina, wondering what they all had to do with the Mai.

She brought out a thick manila folder and set it on the desk. "Each of the ancient Egyptian gods had human offspring. Over the past couple thousand years, the different races have died out."

When she handed me a piece of paper, I read aloud.

* * *

><p><strong>The Mai are the descendents of Bastet. Their powers resemble that of a feline.<br>**_Attributes include:  
><em>Feline eyes  
>Empathy<br>Improved night vision  
>Hypersensitive hearing<br>Increased dexterity and agility  
>Retractable claws<br>_Major clans found in:  
><em>US (West Coast)  
>US (New York)<br>Russia  
>Scandinavia<br>Brazil

**The Jackals are the descendents of Anubis. Their powers resemble that of a canine.  
><strong>_Attributes include:  
><em>Aggrandized canine teeth  
>Black and white vision<br>Hypersensitive hearing  
>Increased strength, dexterity, and agility<br>Improved sense of smell  
><em>Major clans found in:<br>_US (Texas)  
>Australia<br>South Africa

**The Taurus are the descendents of Ptah. Their powers resemble that of a bull.  
><strong>_Attributes include:  
><em>Tendency to charge, to "See Red"  
>Short temper<br>Increased strength  
><em>Major clans found in:<br>_Spain  
>Nigeria<br>India

**The Cetacea are the descendents of Hatmehit. Their powers resemble that of a fish.  
><strong>_Attributes include:  
><em>Amphibious gills  
>Improved swimming ability<br>Hypersensitive sense of smell  
>Retractable webbing on fingers and toes<br>Shark teeth  
><em>Major clans found in:<br>_US (Hawaii)  
>New Zealand<br>Cuba

**The Ave are the descendents of Thoth. Their powers resemble that of an ibis.  
><strong>_Attributes include:  
><em>Improved sense of righteousness  
>Healing abilities<br>Blessings give increased fertility  
>Graceful figure<br>_Major clans found in:  
><em>South Africa  
>Israel<br>Egypt  
>Japan<p>

**The Falcons are the descendents of Horus. Their powers resemble that of a hawk.  
><strong>_Attributes include:  
><em>Improved night vision and sight  
>Hypersensitive hearing<br>Increased dexterity and agility  
>Razor talons<br>_Major clans found in:  
><em>US (Great Lakes area)  
>US (Seattle)<br>England

**The Nepa are the descendents of Hedetet. Their powers resemble that of a scorpion.  
><strong>_Attributes include:  
><em>Immune to extreme heat  
>Hypersensitive to cold teperatures}<br>Deadly poison in stinger located on index fingers  
><em>Major clans found in:<br>_US (Nevada)  
>Iraq<br>Sahara Desert

**The Lacerta are the descendents of Ammit. Their powers resemble that of a crocodile.  
><strong>_Attributes include:  
><em>Impenetrable scales  
>Improved sense of smell<br>Hypersensitive hearing  
>Increased speed and swimming ability<br>Razor teeth  
><em>Major clans found in:<br>_US (Miami)}  
>Australia<br>Egypt  
>China<p>

* * *

><p>"So there are others? Others like us?" Alek looked as confused as I was.<p>

Aunt Valentina nodded, saying, "I have never met anyone from the other races. No one knows if they are alive. It has been generations since the different races have contacted each other." She sighed. "For all we know, they could be extinct."

She pointed at the picture on the scroll. "The prophecy speaks of the Uniter, but there may be more than just Mai being united."

"Will we get to meet any of them?" I asked, since Alek seemed to be wondering the same thing.

"We have our suspicions that the Jackals have a Pack in Huston. When word gets out that the Uniter has been found, they will probably make themselves known." Aunt Valentina frowned. "The Mai are not on good terms with them, but we leave each other alone for the most part."

"Hmmm," I said, "what are we going to do?"

Aunt Val looked at me and smiled slightly. "I trust you to keep the Uniter safe; just don't forget to act responsibly."

Blushing at her innuendo, I busied myself with looking at the files on the other demigods.

"Now, it is about time for lunch. Chloe, you go start cooking. I need to have a word with Alek."

* * *

><p>When the door to Aunt Val's office closed, it shut out all sound from inside. <em>So much for eavesdropping…<em> Jasmine was on the couch, doing homework. Turning the stove on, I got out butter, tortillas, cheese, refried beans, salsa, and sour cream. I made enough quesadillas for the four of us.

By the time I was done cooking, Alek and Aunt Valentina had emerged. I wondered what they had talked about, but I figured that Alek would tell me later if it was important. He was a great boyfriend; he even offered to do the dishes with me. Once the kitchen was clean, Jasmine, Alek, and I decided to go find Mimi and Brian.

We knew that Brian was tending the store, and that Mimi would probably be wherever he was, so we walked across town to meet up with them. Entering Valentina Bayar's Precious Antiques, I was surprised at the cleanliness. Someone had rearranged the shop to make it more inviting and there wasn't a speck of dust in sight. Ringing the bell at the cashier's desk, three sets of cat eyes appeared.

Brian, Mimi, and Charlie walked out of the back office. We sat around talking, the occasional customer interrupting. Brian was as charming as ever, even the crotchety old ladies loved him.

Texting Amy and Paul, we made a plan to go out to dinner together. Amy was shocked when she heard that Alek had _died_ last night, while Paul just started asking questions. Thankfully, we had chosen a quaint diner, sitting on the patio outside. The crisp fall air made for a wonderful outside meal.

After we finished, we went our separate ways, promising Amy and Paul that we would hang out tomorrow. Brian had orders to stand watch over Alek tonight, so Jasmine, Mimi, and I went back to the apartment. Exhausted, I fell asleep on the drive home. Jasmine had to slap me across the face in order to wake me up.

* * *

><p>After Brian drove me home, I ran into my mum in the kitchen.<p>

"How was school? How was Chloe today?" She smiled at me, as if the past week was just like any other week.

"Good and good." I yawned, and then said, "I think I'm going to bed, okay?" I turned away, saying, "I love you Mum."

I felt her hand on my shoulder and turned around. "I love you too, son."

Leaning over to kiss her cheek, I felt strange. It was like a bolt of electricity shot through me. Strong feelings of love, and pride, ran through my bones. It wasn't my feeling, it seemed to be coming from Mum. I yawned again.

I must be tired. Being sleep deprived was messing with me…

* * *

><p><strong>Let me know when you if you get confused with all the different races. As always, feedback is important. I always take your advice into consideration. <strong>

**Please review, even if you hate it! **


	11. Chapter 11

**To Mai Surprise**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Nine Lives of Chloe King, nor do I profit from any of my stories.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

* * *

><p><em>It was like a bolt of electricity shot through me. Strong feelings of love, and pride, ran through my bones. It wasn't my feeling, it seemed to be coming from Mum. I yawned again.<em>

* * *

><p>School the next morning was defiantly an adventure. Alek had the nerve to kiss me in front of the entire cafeteria crowd. The whispers started immediately. People were wondering if we were dating, yet no one approached me to ask questions. During passing period, I saw a small group of girls gather around Alek. Eavesdropping from around the corner, I heard what they were asking him.<p>

"Ally, who was that little harlot from this morning?" This one was a cheerleader, I think.

"Sander, whatever happened to your 'No Girlfriends' rule?" That voice belonged to the student-body president.

Alek quickly silenced them all, saying, "thing's change. I fell in love."

I gasped when I heard that, amazed that he would publicly announce it. He must have heard me because, not a moment later, I felt familiar strong arms wrap around my waist.

"Good thing she loves me back just as much," he said, his lips inches from my ear. When I shivered in delight, Alek only chuckled. "Kitten, I'll find you later, alright?" he stalked off, as the bell rang.

* * *

><p>Once school was over, Amy and I went shopping. Brian was hanging with Alek, 'guarding' him. While I feared for his life, <em>lives<em>, I knew that the Order would be no match for Brian. He was supposed to be training Alek but I'm pretty sure they were just playing basketball together in the park.

Amy's dads' business was booming. They had even tripled her already enormous allowance. With a credit card of my own, I was more than prepared for a shopping marathon. Our first stop? Union Square.

Neiman Marcus wasn't very busy for a Tuesday afternoon. Spotting a new Elie Tahari dress in her size, Amy took off towards the fitting room. Instead of waiting around, I decided to find a new jacket. The fall fashion season was just ending as October approached. Spotting a nice silk trench-coat, I decided to see if the there was one in my size.

Three hours and five stores later, we had a trunk full of shopping bags. Back at the apartment, I unloaded my new clothes onto my bed. It was past 7 o' clock now, I wondered how Alek was doing. I hadn't talked to him since this morning. That is, aside from the occasional text, just in time to interrupt dinner.

"Jasmine, I'm heading out," I called, knowing she could hear me through the door to her room.

* * *

><p>When I got to Alek's, he was asleep. Not wanting to wake him or his mom up, I sat down on the roof. After a few minutes, I heard Alek getting out of bed. He unlocked the window and let me inside.<p>

"Did I wake you up?" I asked, since I had tried to be as quiet as possible.

"Kind of, yeah," he replied. "Your heartbeat woke me up." Alek sat down on the edge of his bed, motioning for me to join him.

_My heartbeat?_ I sent him a questioning look. "You can tell my heartbeat apart from everyone else's?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Instead of a traditional reply, Alek simply grabbed me by the shoulders. He was strong. As the Uniter, he was probably stronger than anyone ever knew. Yet, somehow, Alek remained so gentle. It was as if his body itself knew not to put too much force behind his actions.

We wrestled playfully for a while; Alek never letting me have the upper hand. His lips never left mine, only pausing occasionally to breathe. Our kiss was passionate, with a touch of desire. Alek held me possessively, pinning me to the bed. We hadn't been together for long, but the sexual tension between us had built up over the past two years. Not knowing where our relationship was going, I had started taking the birth-control pill, just in case.

Getting up off the bed, Alek took off his shirt and jeans. In just his boxers, he walked towards his closet. After handing me a unopened toothbrush package and pair of his sweatpants to change into, Alek went into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Slipping off my jeans, I put on Alek's sweats. _Damn, he must like to see me in his clothes..._ Opening up the toothbrush, I walked into the bathroom.

Settling under the covers, Alek waited for me to join him. In a last-second attempt to dominate him, I leaped onto Alek, landing on the blankets above him. Only slightly startled, he quickly recovered. His lips met mine in a slow display of restraint. I could see his excitement bulging in his boxers, but Alek remained quite the gentleman.

Holding back a yawn, I rolled over in his embrace to look at the clock. It was well past midnight but I wasn't the least bit tired.

I felt a callused hand snake under my sweater and turned to face the perpetrator. With a laugh, I helped Alek pull it over my head.

"Beautiful!" Alek complemented me, making me blush. "You're perfect."

He leaned his head down to rub his cheek on my breasts. I gasped at his sudden motion, causing Alek to pause in his nuzzling against me chest. He turn his head up to look at me.

"Is this okay?" he asked, worried. When I nodded, he slipped his tongue into my bra.

Startled, I said, "Alek! What are you doing?"

He only chuckled, the vibrations of his laugh echoing through my rib-cage. "This is enough, don't worry."

Knowing that Alek wouldn't pressure me to go any further than I felt comfortable, I decided to return his affections. Trailing kisses down from his neck, I was delighted to watch the goosebumps on his skin.

Alek seemed to make a game with himself, trying to see how close to my nipples his tongue could get, without taking my bra off. I had never been this close to anyone, but the intimacy didn't worry me. It was cute to watch him fondle me, his playful manner set my nerves at ease.

Finally giving up, exhaustion took over Alek's body. He lifted me up onto his bare chest, tucking my head underneath his chin.

I don't know which one of us fell asleep first, but we both slept soundly.

* * *

><p>The next day, school was the same. The homework, the whispers, and the gossip were enough to drive me insane. My only consolation was knowing that once that final bell rang, I had all the time in the world. There was a certain comfort to be found in my new routine.<p>

I would wake up, head home, and take a shower. Alek, with the beat-up old VW Bus he bought from a friend, would pick me up to take me to school.

After school, I would hang out with Alek, or have girl-time with Jasmine, Mimi, and Amy. More than once, I would have dinner at Alek's house, helping his mother make dinner. I loved her as if she were my own. Meredith Souza was always so accepting of my relation with Alek. I felt like I could talk to her about anything, something I never had with Aunt Val. The two of us had an understanding: as long as there was no 'hanky-panky' going on, I was allowed to spend the night on weekends.

Of course, I always slept over, even on school-nights. I had found that I was unable to sleep well at night, if I wasn't near Alek. My childhood nightmares had always gotten the better of me, but somehow Alek managed to chase them away. Sneaking around behind Mer's back made me feel guilty, but Alek and I hadn't gone 'all the way' yet, so I didn't feel too bad.

Alek said that his mom trusted us to be responsible, and that she wouldn't be disappointed if we were sexually active. She remembered what it was like to be a teenager; she just didn't want to know the details. When I asked how he was so sure, Alek told me about the weird feelings he was having.

Aunt Valentina explained to us what was going on. Apparently, the ancient Mai all had the power of empathy. They could sense the feelings of others simply by looking them in the eye. It made sense when I thought about it, now I know why cat's hate making eye-contact. It was instinctual to feel exposed when meeting someone's gaze.

Over the centuries, the Mai had lost their empathetic abilities. Even Alek had limitations. He could only sense the emotions of humans who had overwhelmingly strong feelings. Aunt Val said that, with training, Alek might be gain control over this power.

* * *

><p>On the 30th, Aunt Valentina returned to San Francisco. She, <em>of <em>_course_, felt obligated to give Mimi and me the 'sex talk' when she heard of our newfound relations. While I wasn't having sex yet, Valentina insisted that I continue taking an oral contraceptive. I didn't mind, it made my PMS symptoms easier to handle.

Even though Aunt Val was a bit of a party-pooper, we decided to have a Halloween party the next day. Too lazy to actually do much, we all just sat around watching scary movies. The apartment was heavily guarded, so we didn't have any 'trick-or-treat'ers to hand out candy to. Much to Alek's surprise, I had never trick-or-treated, nor handed out candy. He insisted that, next year, I would somehow manage to do both.

That night, Amy and Paul, Mimi and Brian, Alek and I, and Jasmine all fell asleep on the couch.

* * *

><p>A week later, a suspicious letter came in the mail. Addressed to Aunt Valentina, the letter was an invitation to a gathering in New York. Apparently it was time to make Alek's Uniter status known. The leader of the Texas Jackals was going to be there, rumor had it.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Please review, even if you hate it! I love reading your reviews, any encouragement or advice you have is both needed and welcome. If you like where the story is going, please let me know. I am heading into some deeper plot here, and I need to know if you guys can keep up with all the crazy.<strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**To Mai Surprise**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Nine Lives of Chloe King, nor do I profit from any of my stories.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Warning: This story is rated M and is for mature audiences only. Reader discretion is advised.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

* * *

><p><em>A week later, a suspicious letter came in the mail. Addressed to Aunt Valentina, the letter was an invitation to a gathering in New York. Apparently it was time to make Alek's Uniter status known. The leader of the Texas Jackals was going to be there, rumor had it.<em>

* * *

><p>After much debate, Aunt Valentina decided that we all were going to the gala in New York. Aunt Val, Mimi and Brian, Jasmine, Amy and Paul, Alek and I were to fly to JFK Airport on Friday evening. We were staying at the Millennium Hilton, in the Penthouse suite. With five bedrooms, the eight of us were set.<p>

Aunt Valentina had her own bedroom because she was the California representative. Mimi and Jasmine shared, Amy and I shared, and Brian and Paul shared a room as well. Alek got his own room because he's the Uniter.

We were all set for the flight. Since we were traveling together, the eight of us riding First Class would be too suspicious. At first, we booked 2 First Class tickets and 6 Coach. Aunt Valentina and Alek were going to go First Class, but Alek insisted that I ride First Class next to him so we got 3 First Class and Coach for the rest.

* * *

><p>The plane-ride there was boring; Alek fell asleep on my shoulder, while Aunt Val wrote fancy letters on her stationary. When we touched down at JFK, we took a taxi to our hotel. Since our luggage was brought over by the staff, we unloaded our stuff into our rooms and went to sleep.<p>

The majority of the meetings are going to be held on Tuesday, so we had three days to do whatever we want. Amy and Mimi commandeered Jasmine and me for a shopping exposition on Saturday and Sunday, so Monday was left for me and Alek to tour the city.

Since the girls had forced me to buy massive amounts of clothes, they took it upon themselves to dress me up as well. It took them two hours of fighting to decide what to put me in, another hour or two to fix my hair and do my makeup. When they were finished with the cosmetics, I looked in the mirror.

With my hair curled into nice waves and my bangs clipped back by a barrette, I could see my makeup clearly. Mimi had worked magic yet again, giving me bronze cat eyes with her new eyeliner and eye shadow.

Over a nearby chair was the final outfit decision. I was surprised they decided so quickly; I had at least thirty different bags of purchases, all from different stores. Even after shopping for two days straight, Mimi and Amy had twice as many bags as I did.

They finally decided to put me in a dark blue halter dress. Since I had flat out refused to wear anything higher than 3in heels, the girls forced me to be sexy in other ways. Underneath my designer dress, I had on the skimpiest lingerie they had at Victoria's Secret. Mimi had insisted on going in to use her gift card, so I decided to update my underwear wardrobe.

Handing me a new brown tweed jacket and a pair of gloves, the girls shoved me out the door.

* * *

><p>When I met Alek in the lobby, he was dumbstruck. <em>I have to remember to thank the girls later.<em> I waltzed up to him with a smirk on my face.

"See anything you like?" I asked, as Alek wrapped his arm around me.

"Only one, but she's not mine yet." He chuckled when I sent him a confused look. I followed his out to the parking lot.

"Aleksander, what is this?" I rolled my eyes while he unlocked the rental car.

He laughed and shoved me into the passenger seat, saying, "A '72 Dodge Challenger, if you haven't noticed." He drove for a few minutes, and then pulled into the valet area of a restaurant. Alek jumped out and opened the door to help me up. Leading me into the restaurant and up to the Reservations desk, Alek told the hostess, "Petrov, party of two."

Sitting down at the table, I watched as the annoying waitress try to flirt with my date. _I'm not invisible!_ Alek noticed my glare and brought my hand to his lips.

"Hey, Chloe, don't be like that. There's no need to be jealous," he pleaded. I looked him in the eyes, wondering what to do.

"Alek, I can't help it. I've fallen for you, you bastard!" I gave a laugh, to disguise my fear. "You're the Uniter! That's practically royalty! Every single Pride in the world is going to try to steal you away from me. They will either want to kill you, or seduce you!" I blushed at my outburst, worried about what he would say next.

"Your aunt told warned me about this, it'll be okay." He nodded as the waitress brought us our food. "Valentina said that you will always be jealous, it's a Mai thing." Alek saw my expression and backpedalled, saying, "No! Not like that! Mai get territorial when their mates are threatened! She said you already know about Mai relationships…"

_Oh._ I did actually remember that conversation. Not the contents of the discussion, no, but I do remember Aunt Valentina corning Mimi and me for 'the Talk' a few weeks ago.

"Yeah, it's the reason why Aunt Val let Brian and Mimi stay together. And, it's the reason why she never dated after Uncle Malcolm died." A realization suddenly hit me. "You mean… We…"

_Oh Mai God!_ "Alek, what are you saying? You don't even know what it means to…" I trailed off as Alek got out of his chair. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no! You can't possibly…" I stuttered as he got down on one knee and pulled a small black box out of the pocket in his suit.

"I love you. Mai tradition says that we have to claim our territory, and I want to be yours. Please, we don't have to get married until after we graduate. Graduate college even! But I don't want anyone to think, even for a second, that I am not serious about you. Even though we haven't been together for long, I know that my feelings for you will never change. We belong together." Alek stopped rambling to breathe, then continued.

"Chloe Diane King, will you marry me?"

I was speechless. This proposal meant the world to me. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes!" I leapt up and wrapped my arms around his neck. Alek picked me up and spun me around, taking the ring out of the case.

Getting a better look at it for the first time, I was stunned. Small diamonds rested on either side of the accent jewel. It was a midnight sapphire, perfectly cut into a heart. The band was white gold, engraved was "_All the love in the world."_ It was the ring I had always imagined; the ring that I had dreamed about when I was little. It was my mother's engagement ring, given to her by my father.

Aunt Valentina has showed it to me a few times when I was little, but she never let me see the note that accompanied it. Alek held that letter in his hands, passing it to me so I could read it.

* * *

><p><em>Tina, <em>

_I know that the amount of danger my family is in. I ask that, if anything ever happens to me or Jeremiah, could you watch over my baby? I feel her kick even as I write this. I trust you with her life, and I trust you with this: my engagement ring. If you ever find a man who will support her, love her like Malcolm loves you and Jeremiah loves me, give this to him. Show him this letter as I sign of my blessing. This way, I'll know that, no matter what happens, my Chloe will be protected. _

_All the love in the world, _

_Diana_

* * *

><p>When we got back to the penthouse suite, the rest of the party was already in full swing. Dessert was served and toasts were made. Amy went crazy; she was apparently the only one who hadn't known about the proposal beforehand. After screaming and jumping up and down, she immediately got onto the computer to look up wedding planners. She didn't see any professionals that she liked, so she decided to plan it herself.<p>

"Hey, hey, wait! Amy, we aren't actually getting married yet, probably not for years…" I lectured her, knowing full well that I was doing the same thing.

Aunt Valentina brought over Brian's father to celebrate as well, much to Mimi's surprise. The man was definitely not as frightening as she had talked about. Whitley Rezza was an impressive man. He stood a bit over 6 feet tall, and his resemblance to Brian was unmistakable.

"Mr. Petrov, it's a pleasure I'm sure." He ignored Alek's outstretched hand and went to sit down. "Now son. I know you have your little school and your little…" he looked at me, "fling. There is more to life than college and ladies, there is so much power resting in your claws."

Alek's grip on my arm tensed, his eyes shifted and he stood in front of me. "I never want to see you again. I will not join you; I will fulfill my Uniter duties with the help of my Pride."

Aunt Valentina stepped forward. "Whitley, it is time for you to leave. I am taking this matter up with the US Mai Council tomorrow night." She shoved his sorry ass out the door, yelling that "the guards will show you out."

The festivities were finished; no one had the heart to continue partying after such a rude interruption. We each retired for the night, Aunt Valentina and Jasmine turning in first. When I tried to go to my room to change out of my dress, I found Amy and Paul. They were in the middle of an extremely intense… game of chess. Apparently the winner got to have Thanksgiving dinner at loser's house. _Awkward…_ Well, it's better than walking in on the two of them making out. Or worse…

* * *

><p>Sneaking out into the hall, I only hesitated a moment before turning the handle to Alek's room. The door was unlocked. "Expecting someone?" I asked, earning a laugh from my man.<p>

He was dripping wet, a towel wrapped around his waist, blushing slightly. I moved forward, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Before he could grab me, I stole the towel from him and ran into the bathroom. Slamming and locking the door, I ignored Alek's distressed whining.

"Chlo, come on… Don't tease…" _Poor thing._ I am going to be in _trouble._

* * *

><p>After showering and shaving, I wrapped myself up in the towel and unlocked the door. Before I had a chance to swing the door open, Alek was in my face. He wrapped his arms around my waist, unhooking the towel and lifting my off my feet in one swift motion.<p>

I definitely didn't see that coming. The initial surprise dissipating, my hands found their way around Alek's neck, my lips on his. I felt him stiffen against me and pulled away from the kiss.

"Wha?" was all Alek had time to say before I motioned for the bed. "Are you sure?"

"Alek, I'm completely sure. And plus, what's the fun in having a fiancé if I can't have any fun?" I sent him a sly smirk as he rested me gently on the bed. We started with a kiss, deepening it as we sunk further into the California king.

Alek started kissing down my chin, nipping gently at the spot where my neck met my collarbone. I moaned quietly, knowing that I would have a hickey later. In fact, the very idea of it was a major turn on.

I was embarrassed now, my hand covering my mouth so I wouldn't be so loud. Alek, apparently, wasn't okay with that. He licked down my chest and latched on to my left nipple. I squirmed under his mouth, so much that Alek had to pin me down to keep me still. He released my breast to blow gently on it, and then set his mouth on the other one.

With an evil smirk on his face, Alek kissed down my torso to stop just short of my crotch. I was writhing in delight, and Alek had to hold my thighs apart to reach my center. He gently kissed my clit, and brought two fingers to his mouth then dipped them in me. I went crazy underneath Alek, not bothering to hold in my moans now.

A few minutes later, Alek wiped his mouth off on the towel and kissed his way back up to my lips. I reached down to grip his manhood. It was the first time I had ever been in contact with a man but I found that health class did not do it justice. I gripped his length and slid my hands down to play with his sack.

Once I had gotten comfortable with touching him, Alek rubbed the tip of his member against my slit, drawing out a tingling sensation. We both felt a great deal of pleasure, and both were awaiting the other's body.

Alek licked a finger, and rubbed my entrance. I was so wet down there, it was embarrassing! _At least we wouldn't need to add any lubricate. _ He placed the head of his cock between labia, and slowly pushed forward. As he entered me, it was so tight. So unbelievably tight, I mentally prepared myself for the pain. As he pressed his length further, I could feel it creeping into me. Alek paused when he hit my barrier.

"I'm sorry," he frowned at me. "This is probably going to hurt."

Alek stopped and slowly receded.

"Just do it," I demanded. "The faster you go, the faster the pain is over with."

After a moment of pulling back, he began the movement inward again. Breaking my hymen, Alek thrust down until I felt his tip hit my cervix. The pain shook through my body, causing me to whine. Tears dripped down my face but I tried to keep the pain from showing.

"It's so big, I'm not sure I can handle it," I said, panting.

"Just relax. I'm so sorry. It'll be okay, I promise."Alek brought a hand to my face, whipping away my tears.

He began to move in and out, slowly so I could get a feel for his member. As the pain began to fade away, Alek drove faster, harder. Now I could really feel the pleasure within me well up. After a minute or two of this tempo, Alek began to pump into me as fast as his body would permit. I moaned, not in pain but in pleasure. He grunted, a sharp and brief grunt, and I wrapped my hands around the back of his neck.

"Alek, you can go as hard as you want now," I gasped out. "It doesn't hurt anymore."

As his pace increased, I slipped into silence; the only sound I heard was his heavy breathing and my staccato gasps that accompanied his thrusts. My eyes eased shut and my grip on his neck tightened. Alek quickened his pace slightly. Each thrust produced a greater level of pleasure for both of us, and my gasps grew louder every few jabs.

Alek reached down to my rear, which he gripped tight to pull me toward him with every thrust. After only a few more moments of this, I cried out again. Needing no further encouragement, Alek pushed in, making short hard thrusts deep into my center. He drove in and out, so hard and fast that every other thrust was accompanied by an "umph" from me, and every other partial withdrawal was met by an "oh" or a sharp inhaling gasp.

I felt the fire growing into the pit of my stomach. "Alek, I…" He cut off my words with a kiss.

"I know, I know. It's okay, just let it come." Alek reassured me, saying, "I'm close too."

The burning sensations grew to an overwhelming feeling, taking over my entire body. I clenched down on Alek; my vaginal walls clamping down on his length, my claws dug into his back, and my legs locking around his thighs. But all the vigorous passion had taken its toll on Alek, and he couldn't hold in any longer. I felt him explode into me, each thrust spilling his burning hot seed into me.

We both flopped back on the bed, exhausted from an hour and a half of intense love-making. Taking the discarded towel from the floor, Alek gently wiped his semen from my crotch. His touch stung a bit, still sensitive from our previous actions.

* * *

><p><strong>As always, feedback is important, so let me know what you think of the citrus. I have plenty experience, but not so much experience actually writing about it. I always take your advice into consideration. <strong>

**Please review, even if you hate it! **


	13. Chapter 13

**To Mai Surprise**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Nine Lives of Chloe King, nor do I profit from any of my stories.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Warning: This story is rated M and is for mature audiences only. Reader discretion is advised.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

* * *

><p>When I woke up in the morning, I felt someone watching me. About to go into defense-mode, I remembered last night's events. I opened my eyes to find Alek's sleepy gaze peering lazily at me across the pillow. After a smile and a kiss, we were ready to start the day.<p>

I helped Alek pick out a nice tie, one that matched the dress I was going to wear to the council meeting. Amy made sure my makeup and hair were absolute perfection. She finished and left the room, heading off to go do cosmetics for the other girls.

Looking in the mirror, I was amazed how stunning I looked. Gold and a deep forest green are the color of the Petrov coat of arms, so my stilettos were gold and the dress I was wearing was green. It was sexy but still sophisticated; it was a backless silk down with a full A-line skirt that came down to my knees.

* * *

><p>The United States Mai Council was meeting in the Hilton's convention center, disguised as a "Diabetic Feline Owners Association's 11th Annual Educational Seminar" to remain under the radar. We followed Aunt Valentina into the conference room. The room was absolutely silent when we walked through the door.<p>

"Master Aleksander Benjamin Petrov has arrived." I raised an eyebrow as the bouncer announced our arrival. "Miss Chloe Diane King, the Uniter's mate and fiancé. Missus Valentina Bayar, their Pride leader." The people in the room all rose from their seats and bowed.

Alek sat down in a chair, Aunt Val next to him. Knowing my place, I stood behind him to drape my arms across his shoulders. The other council members sat down in their seats, all trying to speak at once.

"Ahhem," Alek cleared his throat to get their attention. "Please allow me to make an opening statement. I know there will be much competition between the Prides over who will train me and guard me. I will tell you now: I will live with the San Francisco Pride for as long as I can. When my home is threatened, I am prepared to go into hiding with one condition."

Alek paused, looking across the room to make eye contact with all the adults. "There are people that must come with me. Not all of them are Mai but, as the Uniter, I say who is to be trusted. These people would be in immediate danger if I were to go missing. Those that seek to end my lives would surely use them against me. My fiancé, her Aunt Valentina and cousin Jasmine, my adoptive mother Meredith Souza, Amy Cain and Paul Jeong, to name a few."

Those who disagreed were silenced by Alek standing up. He addressed the crowd, saying, "Come down to San Francisco. I will meet with those who would like to create an emergency protection plan." Alek turned to me. "Kitten, I'll talk to you in about a bit, we can for a swim or something. You don't have to stay here; Valentina and I are going to review the security force for flight tomorrow."

I nodded and leaned in for a kiss, then made my way down to the pool.

* * *

><p>Not wanting to attract any unwanted attention, I opted for a one-piece swimsuit. There weren't very many people in the pool, so I decided to let my guard down. I walked over to a few of the New York Mai, introducing myself. Apparently word had already spread. The guys all kept their distance while the girls wanted to see the ring and here about how he proposed. Giving them vague answers, I sat down on the edge of the pool.<p>

An autumn breeze made the water seem colder than it actually was. There was no one in the hot tub; there were hardly any people at the pool now in fact. I sunk down into the warm water, relaxing against the bench.

Looking up at the sky, all I saw were clouds. I sighed, disappointed.

"Even if the sky was clear, I doubt you would be able to see any stars…" The shy voice behind me startled me. "Um, sorry, I'm Kai," said the boy sitting on the edge of the hot tub. He was muscular and had an accent, but I had never met him before. He wasn't Mai; I knew that for a fact. None of the male Mai would go near me, because I had been claimed by their savior.

"Hi? I'm Chloe," I said as he sat down on the bench across from me.

"I know."

I looked up, startled. "How…?"

"I'm here to talk to Aleksander actually, and I figure he will probably show up eventually." He put his hands up in protest. "No, I'm not going to hurt him! My father wants to talk to him, so I'm supposed to set up a meet."

I looked in his eyes, he seemed sincere. My instincts told me that he wasn't an enemy, so I nodded.

"I'm not… human… if that's what you're wondering. You might be able to figure it out…" He brought a hand to his lips and pointed to his teeth. I raised an eyebrow; they looked normal. Suddenly, his canines grew and his jaw shifted. With a gasp, realization hit me. He was a Jackal!

Jackals were supposed to filthy murderers, the Mai's mortal enemy. Whenever one was sighted, we fought like cats and dogs. We hunted them down just as the Order hunted the Mai. This Jackal seemed more like the 'hit him over the head with a rolled up newspaper' kind.

"Um, well… Alek should be here soon, so…" I was worried. Just because I didn't see Kai as a threat didn't mean he was harmless.

"Yeah, I'm kinda freaking out… I honestly thought you would try to kill me when I approached you." He looked around, saying that "sneaking in here was hard enough…"

I laughed, and then heard a familiar heartbeat coming closer. "Alek is on his way," I told Kai.

He looked at me, confused. "How…?"

"Oh, well, I heard his heartbeat. It's a mate thing, I think."

Kai nodded, and then looked at me. "Should we get out?" When I frowned, he clarified. "Should we get out of the hot tub? If Alek is on his way."

I shrugged, saying, "Only if you want to. We can ask him actually." I pointed across the pool. "Alek, there's someone here to talk to you."

Alek slipped into the hot tub beside me. "Hello, how do you do?" He reaches out and shakes Kai's hand. I feel Alek tense.

"Alek?" _What happened?_

"You're the Jackal, aren't you? It's a pleasure to meet you. Calm your fears, I know your intensions."

Kai nodded. "You really are the Uniter. The rumors about your Empathy are true, aren't they? Well, father wants to meet with you; he's interested in forming an alliance."

Suddenly, the door slams open. Three men from the Mai Council are standing in the doorway, yelling.

Kai scrambled out of the hot tub. Alek and I follow behind him, confused. The shouting gets louder as panic ensued. Mai hunters ran after Kai, who was running down the stairs to take the emergency exit. Alek was yelling, telling the Mai to stop, but it was in vain. More fighters swarmed us, all trying to track the Jackal.

I felt a sharp pain in my leg and someone's hands on me, causing me to spin around. It was Whitley Rezza.

He pushed me down onto the concrete and stepped on my back. I screamed out in pain, causing my attacker to laugh manically. My skin scraped against the cement, my swimsuit providing absolutely no protection.

The shoe on my back lifted up, only to come down on my head. Then everything went black, the sound of Alek yelling my name was the last thing I remember.

* * *

><p>Bright lights burned into my vision. "Chloe? Chloe!" I grumbled and pushed the flashlight-pen out of my face. Strong arms helped me up. Alek's heartbeat grew louder as he climbed onto the bed behind me, supporting my back as I leaned on him. I felt a slight sting on my face as the band-aid pulled at my skin.<p>

"It looks like you have a mild concussion," said Aunt Valentina, putting away her emergency medical kit. "Your bandages need to be changed every day and take some antibiotics. I'll get you a three month's supply, which should be more than enough."

I had scratches on my face and shoulders, a huge bruise on my back and a deep gash on the side of my right thigh. Apparently Brian's father had used the riot as a distraction to go after me. His excuse being that I am "the only thing keeping the Uniter from fulfilling his destiny." Whitley Rezza was on the run, so the position of Pride leader in Las Vegas went to Brian.

* * *

><p>Saying good-bye to Brian and Mimi at the airport, we all prepared to board our planes. The two lovebirds were catching the next flight to Vegas, but both promised to keep in touch. Aunt Val, Jasmine, Amy and Paul, and Alek and I were flying back to San Francisco.<p>

We arrive at the San Fran International Airport at about noon, dropping Alek off at his house on our way back to the apartment. It was Wednesday, and tomorrow was Thanksgiving. Alek had decided to tell Meredith about being Mai, so Aunt Valentina and Jasmine were joining us for dinner tomorrow.

I slept at Alek's that night, no sex, yes sleeping. We didn't want to chance reopening my wounds. In the morning, I ran home to shower, and then headed back to Alek's house to help Mer with cooking. We cooked the turkey in a big roaster, made Jello salad, mashed potatoes, and steamed vegetables.

At 5pm, Aunt Val and Jasmine arrived. We had a wonderful meal, explaining to Meredith about Mai history and culture. She was shocked at first and thought we were joking. Alek showed her his claws and eyes, and finally she believed us. We had expected her to freak out, go into denial, or even faint.

Meredith surprised us by being entirely relieved. "Oh thank God. I was starting to worry about you son. We used to talk about everything but you have been so secretive lately. At least we don't have to talk about peer pressure and get you drug tested or anything," she laughed.

When Alek announced our engagement, it was Mer's turn to be surprised. She knew that we were in love, but it never occurred to her that Alek was going to propose. Getting a little bit angry, she yelled at Alek, asking him why he didn't tell her about it.

"I could have video-taped it or something! Why! How could you let me miss such a big moment in your life!"

The remainder of the evening progressed smoothly; Meredith decided to allow me to sleep over whenever I wanted. She hated to think that we were sneaking around behind her back. We promised to respect her wishes and to be responsible.

Helping Mer with the dishes, I told her that we planned to get married after high school, sometime in college. Knowing now that Mai fall in love for life, she simply told us that whenever we felt like it was fine. She said that as soon as Alek turned 18, he should get his own place so we could move in together. Meredith warned me about being responsible, but was satisfied when I told her that I was on 'The Pill.'

* * *

><p>The next few weeks went by quickly, homework piling up as we prepared for winter break. Meredith made us promise to spend Christmas at home, so Alek insisted on planning a special trip together from the 26th through January 5th. We got reservations for a Medowside 1-Bedroom Condo at Kirkwood Mountain Resort.<p>

Alek and I could finally get some much needed alone time. The scratches on my face were healed and the swelling on my back and shoulders had gone down. Even the gash on my leg was feeling better, though I still had to keep it bandaged up and take antibiotics. I had never gone skiing before, but Alek promised to teach me.

"Miss King, please stop day-dreaming. Your test won't take itself, you know." The teacher called out across the classroom. His usually malice was missing from his tone, probably because he wanted to get this exam over with just as much as I did. It was the last day of school before winter break, and I had three tests. And a PowerPoint presentation. And an 6-page essay. All due today.

_Yep, can't wait for today to be finished._

* * *

><p><strong>Is anyone excited for Christmas? I sure am, and Chloe's getting a special gift this year. As always, feedback is important. I always take your advice into consideration. Let me know what you think of this chapter, and what you think will happen over winter break! <strong>


	14. Chapter 14

**To Mai Surprise**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Nine Lives of Chloe King, nor do I profit from any of my stories.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Warning: This story is rated M and is intended for mature audiences only. Reader discretion is advised.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

* * *

><p>Alek had a meeting with Kai about a Cetacea who wanted to join their alliance, so Amy and Jasmine took me shopping. We got to Pier 39, we split up. It was early in the morning, so we had all day to shop. There were only three days until Christmas, and I still had a ton of shopping to do. I wasn't sure what to get Amy of Aunt Valentina, but Jasmine, Paul, Alek, and Meredith were pretty easy to shop for.<p>

I bought Jasmine an authentic Japanese weapon set, that included a katana, a tanto, and a wall mount. The set was imported and about two thousand dollars, but quality isn't cheap. For Paul, I bought a handcrafted ocarina with a triforce insignia, like the one in The Legend of Zelda. For Meredith, I found two first class, all expenses paid tickets for an 18 day cruise from San Francisco, to the Bahamas, and back; she could bring Alek, a friend, or a 'significant other.' Alek, well, he would get his gift once we were at Kirkwood, so he could 'unwrap' it privately.

The one's that were hard to shop for are Amy and Aunt Val. Aunt Valentina is so hard to shop for because she already has everything she needs and has enough money to buy anything she could ever want. As a last ditch effort, I decided to take Jasmine to a professional photographer. Aunt Val would get a nice set of pictures of her daughter and niece, in fancy frames. _Lame, I know._ But it was the only thing I could think of.

Amy is a whole different problem. While she can afford anything she could ever dream of, I was on the lookout for the perfect gift. I finally decided to get Amy a puppy. She was always talking about getting a dog, her dads even said she could have one if she wanted to. The issue was in actually attaining a dog. Amy flat out refused to get a dog from a pet store, insisting on a rescue dog. Yet she didn't have the heart to go to the humane society. Last time she went there, she ended up crying because she couldn't take all the animals home.

Once we were finished with the photo shoot, Jasmine and I headed to the San Francisco SPCA. After an hour of deliberating, we decided on Sally, a grey 9-month terrier mix. She was outgoing and friendly, a bit crazy and very loveable; just like Amy. We dropped Sally off at our apartment, and then went to PETCO to get supplies. Our trunk was filled with shopping bags, containing a food and water dish, a collar and leash, a giant bag of dog food, a dog bed, doggy shampoo and brushes, a dog house, and a massive amount of dog toys and treats.

* * *

><p>On Christmas Eve, everyone celebrated at Alek's house. His mom had two spare bedrooms and a pull out couch in the living room. Amy and Paul came over, Aunt Valentina and Jasmine as well, so it was all one big party. We decided to open all our gifts on Christmas morning, all except for one. Amy's gift was hidden in one of the spare bedrooms, ready to surprise her. When everyone had arrived, we told Amy to put her overnight bag in the room. Without warning, Sally tackled her when she opened the door. It was the best present we could ever give her.<p>

That night, the seven of us stayed up late goofing around, singing Christmas carols, and watching bad TV Christmas specials. I was stunned to learn that Alek had an amazing singing voice. He was the perfect tenor and sounded wonderful with my soprano and Amy's alto. The SF football team had a big game, we beat the Seahawks. The only ones who were football fans were Alek and Meredith, but we all watched the game anyway, just to see their reactions to the plays. Once, when SF scored a touchdown, Alek jumped up with a yell, spilling Mountain Dew _and_ Doritos all over himself.

The next morning, we all got up at the crack of dawn to open presents. In a chaotic mess of wrapping paper and ribbon, the gifts were unveiled. I was shocked, and slightly embarrassed at the lingerie that Amy and Jasmine bought me, making me blush, much to their amusement. Aunt Val actually loved her gift, tearing up a bit when she realized how much we have grown in the past few years.

We ate a feast of ham, mashed potatoes, all the proper fixings, and a multitude of desserts. By the end of the day, I was stuffed, satisfied, and still excited for my mountain retreat with Alek.

* * *

><p>The day after Christmas, I packed up everything I would need for a ten-day stay in the mountains. We loaded everything in Alek's VW bus and took off for Kirkwood.<p>

When we arrived, our key card revealed an enormous suite with a king-sized bed. We were both exhausted, so I took a shower while Alek got ready for bed. Once I was finished, I slipped on a black nightie that Amy had bought me. It was sheer and barely covered my breasts, my nipples poking at the black lace. The nightie came down to my knees, and looked absolutely scandalous. It came with a little thong, but I decided it would be more fun without that particular article of clothing.

* * *

><p>I exited the bathroom, to find that Alek was already in bed. I simply crawled up into bed beside him and kissed him. Moving closer, I drew his tongue in and toyed with it with my own.<p>

Alek rolled onto me and kissed my mouth firmly before kissing my ears, and then my throat. He left a hickey on each of my shoulders, lowering the straps of my gown as he did. Alek then worked to pull my left breast out so that he could nibble on it. His kisses there were gentle but passionate. As my nipples hardened, he took one between his tongue and upper teeth and played with it. It actually got even harder, and he swirled his tongue around it before sucking it into his mouth. Alek sucked with a lot of pressure, but he used his tongue to softly massage me at the same time, so it wouldn't be painful.

I wriggled with pleasure then gave out a great moan, as his hand pried my thighs apart and slid down past my neatly trimmed bush. I welcomed it, my wriggling become writhing. This nearly turned into bucking, as his mouth continued to ravage my left breast, covering its surface in love-marks. Alek's two fingers rubbed masterfully at my clitoris in circular motions, almost pinching the little bud between the fingers.

I snapped at him to take his clothes off. He did eagerly, while watching me pull my lacy gown off. Alek attacked, kissing my back, my hips, even my butt cheeks.

I looked into Alek's eyes. "Lay down. Now." He sent me a playful glare. "Alek! Lay down! Now! Please…?" I begged him until he obeyed.

I sat above Alek, and then lifted myself up and mounted him. He pressed up firmly, and I pressed down. Together, we felt our bodies merge. Alek felt so big between my inner walls, making me swell tighter and tighter. My breasts pressed into his chest as I rocked my hips on him and moved my body back and forth. Our motions were different, but they harmonized perfectly.

I will never forget how powerful the emotions felt, that intimate connection of flesh within flesh. It was a complete experience, and it was overwhelming. As I rubbed my thighs on Alek's, I felt my own wetness on his skin. His thrusts became harder, more perfectly directed into me.

The consistent attack of his manhood on my tender insides did not ease up as my body was shot through with bright, white pleasure. This drove me to a series of highs that were so rapid and so escalated, that I collapsed on him, immobile, unable to withstand any more.

Alek kept stroking himself in me, but much slower, trying both to last longer, and to avoid causing me any discomfort. It only took me a moment to recover, and then I kissed him. "There's a mirror on the closet, the ribbon has your name on it," I murmured.

Alek sent me a questioning look. "Are you sure, Kitten?"

"I've never been more sure."

"Oh wow..."Alek was stunned. "Really?" He sent me a brilliant smile when I nodded and went to the closet to retrieve his gift.

We quickly rearranged ourselves so that I was on all fours, my breasts hanging down obscenely. Alek got behind me and kissed my labia, tasting the juices on them. We both groaned and he almost abandoned all else to spend more time doing that, but I stopped him with a light-hearted scolding. "Get back in me, dork."

Alek caressed my backside. "Your bottom is so beautiful, love." His hands slid to my hips, and held on as he inserted his erection into my womanhood from behind. From this position he always went hard and fast. It was a rough pounding.

Alek looked in the mirror to his left. I looked too and smiled at him. He had always wanted this, saying that my body was gorgeous in this position. Something about how I moved so sensually; and that my breasts hung so pornographically, that he wanted to see this. He wanted to watch it in a mirror.

I had always objected, saying it was just a little naughty for her. We were making love, not making a porno. It was about how it felt, not how we looked. But I knew Alek wanted it, so she would give him a view, just this once.

I watched his body slam against mine, swaying gracefully back and forth. Even the way my breasts hung was incredibly erotic.

Alek was kept a steady pace, stroking in and out of me. First, he rubbed my core along the left side. Then, I felt him rub along the right. Finally, Alek angled across the top wall to his my g-spot. He rotated through this new set of moves, repeating as I groaned in ecstasy.

After a while, Alek's hands gripped at my hips, and he began to grunt deep in his throat. I knew he was about to cum. "Want to watch?" I asked, motioning to the mirror.

He knew what I meant and I could see that he didn't believe I was willing to go this far for him, but he was too close to climax to question me. Alek immediately pulled out of me and we both watched in the mirror as his fist flew rapidly up and down his shaft. It was only a few seconds before he exploded his load, painting my rear with his sticky white lust.

After the last spurt, I rolled onto my back and welcomed my fiancé into an embrace. "Merry Christmas, love"

"Merry Christmas…" Alek muttered, falling asleep.

* * *

><p>The remainder of our stay at the resort was amazing. I got to ski and snowboard for the first time, and spend lots of <em>quality<em> time with Alek. It was, by far, the best Christmas ever.

* * *

><p><strong>Merry Christmas everyone! Happy holidays! All that jazz. I know it's not a very good present, but I hope you like my gift to you. Let me know what you think.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>I live in the Seattle area, but I have done my homework on San Francisco. If anyone reading this lives in the San Francisco area, know that there actually is a dog named Sally at the SF SPCA. She is a 9-month-old terrier, her ID# is 14839874. If you are interested in adopting her, please look her up at the SF SPCA website, sfspca(dot)org. <strong>

* * *

><p><strong>I don't plan on updating soon, lots of holiday chaos and family drama. If you want me to update in the weeks after Christmas, please review. I normally got 7 or 8 reviews for each chapter, but I know more people are reading than just 8. If I don't get enough, say 20 reviews maybe, I won't update for a while. <strong>


	15. Chapter 15

**To Mai Surprise**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Nine Lives of Chloe King, nor do I profit from any of my stories.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Warning: This story is rated M and is intended for mature audiences only. Reader discretion is advised.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>

* * *

><p>Our engagement was a big secret. Absolutely confidential. So, naturally, the whole entire school knows. Alek walked me to all my classes, his confidence scaring away questioning classmates. The teachers all knew as well, Mr. Klee glared at Alek during AP US History. My English teacher gave me a hug and a copy of the latest InStyle Wedding magazine. The principle called us into his office because we were "disrupting class time." Meredith and Aunt Valentina were called in from work to talk to the administration. Alek and I sat in the lobby, listening in to their conversation.<p>

"Mr. Stewart, I don't see what the problem is. My niece has done nothing wrong. It is the rest of the school that is spreading rumors and disrupting the teachers."

"It has been arranged between our families, and is private business."

"Ms. Bayar, Ms. Preti, I understand where you're coming from, but…"

"I have been very generous with the many fundraisers this school has, I am involved in the PTA and the School Board Committee. I expected more from you Darren."

"You must be Aleksander. It's a pleasure to meet you." I turned around to face the voice. "And, you must be Miss Chloe. I'm Rajiv Singh, that's my older brother Arun." He motioned to an older copy of himself, who was talking to the registrar. "Miss Lana told us you would be here." After studying him for a moment, then smiled.

"Rajiv, finally. Lana has said so much about you." Alek seemed to know him, or know of him. _Lana? Who's Lana?_ Alek noticed my questioning look and said, "She's the Cetacea from Hawaii, recently moved to San Fran." He looked over at Rajiv. "You're Taurus, Lana's hacker friend. From India?"

Rajiv nodded, and then said, "'Taurus' is my hacker identity, but my brother and I are both Taurus." Alek nodded in understanding, but I was shocked.

A Taurus? Ancient Taurus were warlords. They made army's of their descendents. The world hadn't had any contact with the Taurus for generations.

"Dearest, do not fret, I am no threat to you." Rajiv's accent was strong, but his English was great.

Alek sent him a questioning look, but Rajiv ignored it. Arun was finished registering his brother at our school and came over to talk to Alek. The older man was very different, but the family resemblance was undeniable. Both of the Singh brothers had the same nose and mouth, dark brown eyes, and short black hair. Arun was built like an ox, his muscle tone was bulky and defined, while Rajiv was slim and wiry.

"Aleksander, a moment?" Arun looked me up and down, and then followed Alek across the room.

"So, Miss Chloe, you and the Uniter are betrothed." Rajiv was sitting in the chair that Alek recently vacated. "He looks charming. Strong and lean, strapping and robust, I am very envious. Oh dear…" Rajiv had noticed Alek's smug smirk, and laughed, realizing that Alek could hear him.

"You're…"

"A homosexual? Well, to be perfectly frank, yes. Does that bother you? It should not matter but I am sorry if it does. Well, it should not matter but, in actuality, it does. "

"No, it's fine, really…" A flash of recognition passed his face.

"Oh! No, not like that. The Taurus have this… 'deadly seed' but, I do not have to worry about that. Because I am gay." Rajiv looked a bit uncomfortable, but continued. "Things like condoms, spermicide, oral contraceptives, or any contraceptive really, don't work with a Taurus. It's our curse. When a Taurus has sex with a woman, she will get pregnant." He laughed awkwardly. "Which is why I told your mate that I'm no threat to you."

I nodded, and then raised an eyebrow. "Do all the races have a curse? The Mai are deadly to humans, the Taurus make babies…"

Rajiv laughed, the tension between us disappearing. "I don't know about the others, but Miss Lana always complains about her arranged marriage. Cetacea can only have Cetacea offspring if both parents are Cetacea. Almost all the Cetacea are affianced at a young age, in order to keep the race alive."

Arun handed Rajiv his new schedule and left the building, saying that he had to get to his new job. Alek and I showed Rajiv to his classes, introducing him to Jasmine, Amy, and Paul.

Luckily, the news of a new exchange student from India was enough to take the pressure off Alek and me. Rajiv was extremely charismatic, making friends instantly.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading, but please review. I have been extremely unmotivated, sorry for the short chapter. While I hate to make threats, reviews are amazing. The more reviews I get, the more inspiration I have. I don't have writer's block, thank God, but it is difficult to focus on writing. <strong>

**Please review guys, I need to know if you guys like the new characters. I plan on building up their personalities, so let me know what you think.**


	16. Chapter 16

**To Mai Surprise**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Nine Lives of Chloe King, nor do I profit from any of my stories.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Warning: This story is rated M and is intended for mature audiences only. Reader discretion is advised.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16<strong>

* * *

><p>"Okay, so you're a fish? How does that work? An arranged marriage, what's that like? You're not human but you're not fish-like? Will you have fishy babies? What's the gestation period for OW, HEY!"<p>

"Shut up Paul!" Amy raised her arm again, threatening to hit her boyfriend again if he didn't keep his mouth shut. _Today is going to be a long day…_

"Indeed Paul, no need to be rude," said a heavily-accented voice from behind him.

We were sitting in the cafeteria after school, talking to Lana and Rajiv. Arun wasn't much of a talker, more of the tall-dark-and-handsome type, and seemed to disappear whenever 'the kids' were talking. He talked with Aunt Val, Alek, and Lana, but only when discussing communication strategy or planning out research tactics. Rajiv spent the weekend setting base, or 'hacker's lair' as Paul put it, in Aunt Valentina's office, and then he and his brother moved into my old bedroom. I moved all of my stuff into Jasmine's, and took all the essentials (clothes, shoes, makeup, laptop, cell phone, etc) to Alek's house.

Lana had her own place, an apartment above Aunt Val's antique shop, and she was hired part-time at the little vintage clothing store next door.

"Well, I'm glad we met you guys, but the Sanchez needs me backstage," Lana said, waving a tanned arm in farewell. "I'll meet you guys at Stella's Coffee before my shift."

We watched her take off towards the drama room, her wavy, dark hair trailing down to her waist. She had an amazing fashion sense, a mix of vintage and steampunk. Lana is a sophomore at UCSF, but she volunteers in the costume department here at school. Mr. Sanchez, the hopeless drama teacher, needed all the help he could get.

Amy and Paul said goodbye, heading off for some much needed alone-time, while Rajiv and I left to watch the end of Alek's practice.

* * *

><p>"So have you two…?" Rajiv whispered, raising his eyebrows suggestively, while reclining comfortably on the bleachers.<p>

I sighed. "Well… yeah, but not recently. Alek hasn't really been in the mood."

"Hmmmm… well? Why's that? You two have great chemistry…" Rajiv whispered, careful to not alert the players in the gym below us.

"I've been sick recently, Aunt Val said that it's the flu." I shuddered at the thought. "I don't want to think about it…"

"I am truly sorry Miss Chloe, but I have to ask. Are you sure it was influenza? As far as I am aware, the Mai cannot contract 'the flu'" he continued, sending me a strange look.

"I don't know, that's what everyone thought it was…" I shrunk away from Rajiv, suspicious. "Why?"

"Because your sickness, plus Aleksander's low libido, I must ask, are you menstruating regularly?" Though Rajiv's voice was barely audible, I could make out what he was saying.

"Of course!"

Alek looked my way, so I flashed him a split-second smile, and gave him a reassuring wave.

"No," I whispered. "Oh no…"

I grabbed Rajiv's hand, sent a quick text to Alek, and then ran to the car.

"No! I can't be!" I slammed the passenger's side door and handed the keys to the KIA to Rajiv. "I'm on the pill! No! Turn left…"

I struggled to regain my composure as we pulled up to the RiteAid. After handing me a silk handkerchief, Rajiv calmly walked into the store.

* * *

><p>He came back with three different tests, and drove us to Val's apartment. On the way there, I texted Amy and Jasmine, telling them to meet me, and that it was a matter of life and death. Well at least, a matter of life, and the life that might be inside my womb.<p>

I waited on the couch next to Amy and Rajiv, while Jasmine paced the living room floor. We had three hours before Alek and Arun would be done with their meeting with Lana. Aunt Valentina was supposed to be home in less than an hour. We had three minutes to sweat before the tests would reveal the future.

"I don't understand! Chloe, I thought you were on the pill!" Amy screeched, though she was less than a foot from me. "Did you forget it or something?"

Rajiv looked up from his laptop, motioning to the medical records on the screen.

"How did you get this? It's Mai property…" Jasmine rattled off, but stilled when he highlighted a certain portion of text. "Oh, shit. Chloe, did the doctors tell you about the side effects when you went on all the medications?"

"Yeah, they must have. I would have noticed if they didn't… Wait. Why would you ask that?"

"The antibiotics, from the riot in New York? That week before Thanksgiving?" Jasmine pointed to the computer screen.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Certain antibiotics can interact with birth control pills, making the birth control pills less effective and pregnancy more likely. Spotting - or 'mid-cycle' bleeding - may be the first sign that an antibiotic is interfering with the effectiveness of your birth control pills. Antibiotics that have been shown to interact with birth control pills include rifampin, and to a lesser extent, penicillin, amoxicillin, ampicillin, sulfamethoxazoletrimethoprim, tetracycline, minocycline, metronidazole, and nitrofurantoin. To help women avoid pregnancy while taking an antibiotic - and for at least one week afterward - doctors generally recommend they use a condom or spermicide as a back-up method of birth control. If you are taking both antibiotics and birth control pills, be sure to check with your doctor about how long you should continue to use a back-up method.**_

* * *

><p>Blah, blah, blah, no wonder I didn't really remember any of it. <em>Spotting? No wonder I didn't suspect anything…<em>

"Hey! Hey! HEY!" We all looked at Amy, before she pushed us towards the counter. "It's been three minutes!"

Two purple lines.

A little pink plus.

'**Pregnant.'**

* * *

><p>I fell against Rajiv's sturdy arms. <em>Oh my God…. Oh my God. Oh my God! Oh my God!<em> Everything felt surreal. I slumped against the couch, one hand on my tummy.

"Time to call in the troops…" Jasmine sat down next to me, texting Mimi. Rajiv wiped off tears from my cheeks, tears that I didn't even notice building up that now fell freely. Amy sat in silence, eyes bouncing back and forth between my stomach and the three tests on the counter.

_Bing._

The elevator doors. Aunt Valentina.

Jasmine looked at me, and then went to meet her mother at the door as I stood up. I had all of three seconds to decide how to tell Aunt Val.

I opened my mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by a crushing hug. "Aunt Val? What…?"

She finally released me, pushing me back onto the couch. "I love you, Chloe. I love you, your fiancé, and…" She glanced down at the counter, and continued. "And, I love your baby. But, you are a very careless girl. This is going to change everything. If the other Prides find out, they will fight for you, and your baby." Aunt Val sat down. "You are going to be protected. There are very few I can trust with your life, let alone the life of your unborn child."

"Mimi says she will do anything to help, but who else? The Mai are few and far apart." Jasmine shook her head, texting Mimi on her phone.

"I'll put a few calls in, Mirella and Brian can be spared, I will tell the Vegas Pride that the Uniter needs more guards. I have friends in Las Angeles that I can trust; they can transfer up here by next week." Aunt Valentina gave my shoulder a quick squeeze, and then walked to her office to make the calls.

Amy was in shock still, staring at my flat stomach. Her eyes bugged out of her head as she reached forward to touch me. I raised an eyebrow at her, slowly leaning backwards while her hand crept toward my tummy.

"My brother and I will do anything to protect Miss Chloe. We came to the United States to assist the Uniter. I cannot see a better way to do so." Rajiv reached around me to gently swat Amy's hand away.

She seemed to snap out of it immediately, her usual crazed attitude returning. "What about Alek? You have to tell him! You only have a few hours 'til he gets home. He's going to expect you in pajamas, eating dinner, and picking out a movie on NetFlix." She grabbed my phone out of my hand and scrolled down to the text I sent Alek an hour ago.

"Rajiv wants to have 'girltalk' so I'll meet you at home."

Amy poked the screen, bringing up my message inbox.

"No problem love, I might be home a bit early. Try not to pick a chick-flick :P"

Movie night with Meredith! I'm not surprised that I forgot…

"I have to tell him. And Meredith, because she has to know that she's going to be a grandma…" Grabbing my jacket off of a chair, and my keys off the counter, I made my way towards the elevator. Amy and Rajiv wanted to go with me, but it was something I had to do alone. I'm going to be a mom now, so I have to be strong… I'm going to be a mom now… I'm going to be a mom.

* * *

><p>I pulled into the driveway, relieved that Meredith's station wagon was the only car in the garage.<p>

"Mer, there's sss-something I ne-need to tell you. Well, it's s-something I ne-need to… to tell Alek, but it's something that affects all of us so…"

Meredith took my hand and sat me down in the living room. "Chloe, baby, what is it? Please, it's okay, please tell me." She was worried, and I figured that it was better to just say it.

"I'm pregnant."

I am. I'm pregnant. It was the first time I'd said it out loud. All of a sudden, reality decided to kick in. Sobbing, I curled up in the chair while Meredith held me.

Planting a kiss on the top of my head, she said, "it'll be okay. You need to tell Alek, but it'll be okay, I promise. You're my baby girl, I love you. It'll be okay."

I don't know who she was trying to convince, herself or me, but it seemed to work. Meredith made me sit on the couch while she got out a giant tub of chocolate ice cream.

"So, over Christmas break, you didn't really have the flu?"

I shifted slightly, before nodding. "But, I didn't put all the pieces together until today. I thought I was sick! I didn't know! I swear!"

Meredith sent me a loving smile and nodded, dipping her spoon back into the tub of ice cream. "I know baby girl, I know. Alek called me; he said his meeting would be over by 7, he should be home soon. Why don't you go get cleaned up?" She motioned to the tear tracks on my cheeks and the melted chocolate on my shirt. "You head upstairs. I'll tell Alek you're waiting for him. Now go. It'll be okay."

I started up the stairs, got into the shower, and decided to tell Alek the same way I told Mer. Just spit it out, and hope for the best.

* * *

><p>I was nervous, but I had calmed down enough by the time I got out of the shower. Alek's sweatpants and old basketball t-shirt sounded like a good way to soften the blow. He always loved it when I wore his clothes; it was some kind of Mai mate protectiveness. I heard the engine of his old VW as he pulled into the driveway. The grinding of the garage door was next, and then the engine turned off. The garage door closed as I heard Alek open the door and walk into the kitchen. Meredith didn't say much, just a pleasant "she's upstairs."<p>

The sound of footsteps walking up the stairs made my nerves buzz with anxiety.

Alek opened the door looking exhausted. He was stressed out, but he still managed a small smile when he saw me. I felt guilty; I hated to add more to his burden. Being the Uniter is hard enough already. This week is final's week at school, only half of junior year left. Then, we had senior year. I didn't even know if I would be able to finish junior year, let alone graduate. And college? More like, community college.

Knowing the Mai, I will either have to go into hiding, or quit school to be protected.

* * *

><p><strong>Cliffhanger, hanging from cliff. Let me know what you guys think, if you love it, if you hate it, if anyone saw it coming. I know that kenhat did :)<strong>

**Please, please, please review! I know there was some confusion with the new characters; I'm trying to build them up, as they will be important later. Let me know what you think, comments, concerns, questions, etc. If you review with question, I will reply (I PROMISE!)**


	17. Chapter 17

**To Mai Surprise**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Nine Lives of Chloe King, nor do I profit from any of my stories.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Warning: This story is rated M and is intended for mature audiences only. Reader discretion is advised.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 17<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Alek opened the door looking exhausted. He was stressed out, but he still managed a small smile when he saw me. I felt guilty; I hated to add more to his burden. Being the Uniter is hard enough already. This week is final's week at school, only half of junior year left. Then, we had senior year. I didn't even know if I would be able to finish junior year, let alone graduate. And college? More like, community college. <em>

_Knowing the Mai, I will either have to go into hiding, or quit school to be protected._

* * *

><p>"Are you alright?" He rested a hand on my shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. He was worried.<p>

With bloodshot eyes, trembling hands, and a stuffy nose, I know what I must have looked like. "I'm ok-kay… But y-you need to s-sit d-d-down," I stuttered, wiping fresh tears from my cheeks.

The bed shifted under his weight as Alek wrapped his arms around me.

"I… I f-found out to-today th-that," I paused to breathe. "That the antibiotics I was taking can cancel the effects of the pill…" I looked away, ashamed.

"Hey, don't be scared, it's okay. You didn't know." Alek nudged me, attempting to lighten the mood. "We'll just use condoms for now. They even make cherry flavored!"

His forced laugh fell flat when he noticed my sobs. "Chloe! I didn't mean it like that… I'm sorry! I was just trying to-"

I shook my head. "No, n-no it's-s n-not th-that…" I forced myself to take a deep breath. "I'malreadypregnant," I whispered.

Alek's body went stiff and he pulled away from me. "Chloe! What did you just say?"

I shrunk back into a ball, sobbing. Biting back a whimper, I was startled when strong arms lifted me up. With his back against the headboard, Alek cradled me in his lap and handed me a tissue.

"Chloe?"

I closed my eyes, not daring to meet his questioning gaze. "It's too late." I coughed, clearing out the phlegm from my throat. "I'm… I'm already p-pregn-nant."

Alek nodded his head, and then asked "are you sure?"

I pulled up a picture on my phone, the one that Amy took. It was Jasmine's kitchen counter, with three positive pregnancy tests on it. "I'm pregnant. Aunt Valentina says that I'm about nine weeks along." I lifted up my shirt, showing him the slight baby bump that was developing. "Apparently I didn't have the flu before, it was morning sickness…"

"So… I'm going to be a dad?" Alek's eyes filled with fear. "I've never even had a dad! How am I going to be a good dad?" He panicked. "What if he doesn't like me? What if something happens to me and I can't-"

"Hey! Nothing is going to happen to you! Or me! Or this baby." I put a hand on his cheek, forcing him to look me in the eyes. "Aunt Val sent for extra guards. We are keeping the baby a secret from the other Prides. They think you need another protector because the Order has surfaced." When he didn't say anything, I continued. "We're safe."

Alek relaxed, putting a hand on my stomach. "So, this is real? I mean, it's really happening, right?" Not waiting for a response, he continued. "I'm not dreaming? We're going to be a real family?"

I nodded, his excitement leaving me speechless. "Wh-what are you doing?" I asked, startled when Alek bent down.

"Nothing," he said, as he placed half-dozen kisses right below my bellybutton. He froze, and then placed an ear up against my stomach with a gasp. "I can hear him! His heartbeat! Chloe!"

Feeling dampness on my lap, I looked down. "Alek…?"

"I'm fine, don't worry, love. Just a bit verklempt is all." He sat up and kissed me on the cheek. "I think we ought to have our wedding sooner, don't you think?"

I shuddered, thinking of all the gossip. "Well, maybe we can do something small. Just us, and everyone who we've told about the baby."

Alek nodded, saying, "That sounds good. If you want, we can have the ceremony later, and just file a marriage certificate at the courthouse now?"

"Yeah, but we don't have to decide yet." I snuggled into bed, pulling Alek under the blankets with me.

"You must be exhausted, too much crying. It's not good for you." He kissed the top of my head, pulling me close.

I drifted off to sleep, the last thing I remember is feeling Alek's breath on the back of my neck, and his hands holding my pregnant tummy.

* * *

><p>"So, what are you doing with school? You can't just waltz around all fat and think nobody's gonna notice."<p>

"Miss Amy, that was very rude. Though, she has a valid point. People are going to notice, and the gossip will undoubtibly make its way to the other Prides." Rajiv sat between Jasmine and me, while Paul talked Alek's ear off about babies. We leaned back to look at the sky, a perfect view of the sunset behind the Golden Gate Bridge.

"I'm going to do the City College of San Francisco's High School Diploma Program. That way, I won't have to be here, but I can still graduate high school. Aunt Val is going to tell the school that my part-time job has demanding hours, so I have to take classes at the college instead."

"You start next week, right? Once finals are over?" Jasmine pulled out her phone, bringing up the calendar. "When's the part-time job?"

"It's at Then&Now, the vintage store that Lana works at? Only Monday through Friday, from 10am to 4pm. I don't get paid much, but that's okay."

Amy laughed, saying, "You won't do much there. Lana has OCD; she probably won't let you touch anything. Just sit behind the counter and look pretty."

Jasmine nodded. "You're only working there so that Brian and Mimi can keep an eye on you. They're all moving back to San Francisco, even little Charlie. Brian's aunt is taking over the Las Vegas Pride, just until we don't need them."

"Who is this mythical 'Charlie' that everyone has been talking about?"

Amy launched into the story of how Brian gave Mimi Charlie, while I listened to Paul chattering away in the background.

"At nine weeks, human babies develop their tongues! And their fingers too, though they are short and webbed. Do you think it's the same for Mai? I mean, you guys don't change until your teens, so shouldn't your guys's baby be like a human?"

"Paul, I don't know. Go ask Jasmine or Valentina."

"Alek, Raj, we need to talk," came a quiet voice from behind us. Kai, pressed a manila folder into Alek's hand. "The Seattle Cast has initiated contact with us."

"Cast?" I looked around, confused.

"A group of Falcos is called a 'Cast,' much like a 'Pack' of Jackals, a 'Herd' of Taurus, or a 'Pride' of Mai." Rajiv grabbed the file and read its contents. "Two of their members want to meet us. Paige and Mitchell Fraser, brother and sister. They are both in college at the University of Washington."

"They will move to San Francisco, transferring to UCSF." Kai got up and rested a hand on my shoulder. "Congratulations, by the way. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask." While he walked away, Paul's attention shifted to Rajiv.

"Falco's have good eyesight and hearing, and talons? Aren't they just like Mai then? Do humans die if they kiss them?"

"No, they live similar to humans. Their eyesight does not change the look of their eyes, and their 'talons' are actually just a tendency to have strong, sharp fingernails." Rajiv looked down at the file. "Living with a Falco is similar to living with someone who works for the Central Intelligence Agency. They are trained to fight, gather information, and keep secrets. The can only be in approved relationships, and their Falco status is strictly 'need to know' information." Paul opened his mouth to ask more questions, but Rajiv was already gathering his stuff. "I have to go set up the meet, see you al tomorrow at school."

* * *

><p>As we walked home from the park, Alek turned to me. "Do you think this is what being the Uniter is? Uniting all the different ancient races in the world?"<p>

I shrugged. "I don't know, but it seems like the right thing to do. I think it's more of a 'follow your instincts' kind of thing though."

He nodded, and then said, "If we could find a way for our generation to work together, maybe we could eliminate the Order. We could save the dying races, like the Ave and the Nepa…."

I smiled up at Alek and planted a kiss on his neck. "It'd be like an Endangered Species Conservation group!" I said with a laugh. _Who knows? Maybe Alek's onto something…_

The Prophacy doesn't exactly say who or what the Uniter is going to _unite_.

* * *

><p><strong>Let me know what you guys think, if you love it, if you hate it, etc. I love pregnant Chloe; I think it's the cutest thing ever! Mama Chloe is way better than Uniter Chloe. Just saying.<strong>

**Please, please, please review! Let me know what you think, comments, concerns, questions, etc. If you review with question, I will reply (I PROMISE!)**


	18. Chapter 18

**To Mai Surprise**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Nine Lives of Chloe King, nor do I profit from any of my stories.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Warning: This story is rated M and is intended for mature audiences only. Reader discretion is advised.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 18<strong>

* * *

><p>"What about Aiden? Or Kieran?"<p>

"I like Blake. And Kayla. Or Diana, like my mother."

"Those are all girls' names!" Alek wrapped his arms around my stomach, pulling me tighter in my lap. "How about this? If we have a girl, you can name her. I get to name him if we have a boy. Okay?"

I reached for the shampoo, considering my options. _Agree to this, or fight over it for another month or two._ "Sounds great!"

Alek snatched the bottle out of my hands, squirted a dollop into his palm, and began lathering it into my hair. Our nighttime baths had become a ritual; they provided an innocent way to get out our sexual frustration. As he worked his magic on my scalp, I leaned back against his muscular chest. From my seat between his legs, I could feel Alek's semi-flaccid member against my rear. It wasn't particularly arousing, but not at all unpleasant.

After rinsing my hair, Alek began working conditioner into my curls. His callused fingers were gentle; his words sent a chill down my spine. "So, love, what do you want for your birthday?"

_Jesus that accent just kills me! _It took a second for his words to register. "My birthday? That's not until the fifteenth…"

"So, approximately two weeks from now?" He chuckled. "Hey, at least you won't be '_16 and Pregnant_' much longer."

I turned around to slap his shoulder. Just because I was pregnant, didn't mean that I want to be on a TV show. "Don't be an ass…"

A hand snuck towards me, dunking me into the water. "Alek! Hey!" I fell against him, giggling like a little kid. Alek wrapped me in his arms, lifted me out of the bathtub, and deposited me onto the bed. "I can walk you know! It's a baby, not a handicap!"

Alek reached for the lotion from the dresser. His breath tickled my ear as he pulled me into his lap. I heard a small '_fartttt_' noise and burst out laughing. Alek set down the bottle, glaring at its offensive interruption, and started rubbing the moisturizer onto my tender breasts and swollen belly.

* * *

><p>We were waiting in the lobby of Aunt Val's apartment, waiting for two Falcon and one Mai.<p>

Well-kept strawberry-blonde hair flopped into his face as he made his way toward us. Designer jeans and an irritated expression graced his slim figure. Mitchell Fraser, the younger of the two siblings, rolled his eyes and lifted the strap on his messenger bag higher on his shoulder. He nodded at Alek, but ignored everyone else.

His older sister, a buxom woman with a pudgy stomach, waddled up behind him, her blonde curls bouncing. Her hair wasn't as thick, or as curly as mine, but a much lighter shade than mine. She struggled with her suitcase for a moment, and then smiled.

"You're Alek!" She suddenly gave him a hug. "Oh my God, I am so glad to get out of that hellhole!" She looked at me before tackling me with a hug as well. "Rajiv told me about your...condition."

Alek was about to protest revealing my secret, when Rajiv interrupted.

"We can trust Miss Catherine, she's also with child." He gestured to her tummy.

"Catherine? I thought you were Paige?" I wondered why her husband wasn't with her.

"My middle name is Paige. I'm using my maiden name now, so I wanted to go by my middle name, so I do."

A loud sound caught my attention. A motorcycle speed straight towards us and screeched to a halt in front of the building. A boy got off the bike, and walked towards us. He handed his keys and helmet to the valet, the guards knew him so he must be Mai.

A squeal next to me drew my eyes away from the new hot blond. Jasmine was fighting to keep her composure. _Ohhhh!_ _This is the guy, the guy from facebook! _She hit me on the back of my head. _Subtle._

"Hey Z, how was your flight?" Jasmine smiled. _Is that a blush? On Jasmine?_

"Zinoviy, a pleasure." Rajiv reached out and shook his hand, earning a glare and a muffled grumble from Mitchell. Rajiv pronounced his name 'zee-NO-vee' but that could just be his Indian accent.

"Please, only my grandmother calls me 'Zinoviy.' 'Z' is fine." His accent was thick, thicker than Alek's. Russian, if I remember correctly. Z is slightly shorter, and slightly older than Alek, with long-ish curly, dirty-blonde hair. He has a rugged attractiveness to him. _No wonder Jasmine's smitten…_ We headed up to the penthouse, meeting the rest of our group there.

* * *

><p>When we got through the door, Paige grabbed my hand. Alek nodded at us, saying, "I'll tell everyone the game plan. Kidnap away Paige."<p>

She replied with a huge smile, hauling me off towards the kitchen. "I'm hungry," she explained. "And, I'm sure you have questions."

I nodded, saying, "How far along are you?"

"Three months, due the end of July. What about you? You don't look even two yet."

"I'm at ten weeks now, due August 28th. If you don't mind me asking, who's the father?"

Her smile faded. "He was killed by the Order. When he heard that the Uniter was found, he told them what he knew." She put a hand on my shoulder. "Once they had the information, they killed him."

"Oh God, that's awful!" I reached down to give her hand a squeeze.

"I don't know what's worse. Knowing I married a traitor, or knowing that my baby will never have a father." She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "I didn't ever really love him, but once I got knocked up, the Cast insisted that we get hitched." She let out a shaky laugh.

"It'll be okay, you have all of us. And your brother. He's moving down here too, right?"

Paige nodded, but had a scowl on her face. "He doesn't have a choice, the Cast sent him. Mitchell has always been the passive-aggressive type, so I doubt he will forgive me anytime soon." Noticing my questioning expression, she continued. "Most of his friends in the Cast ditched him when they learned of my... 'situation' and the elders forced him to move down here with me. Even his boyfriend dumped him, poor kid..."

"Alek and I have only been together for about six months, but for Mai… It's different. I know for sure, right this very moment, that I will never love another man."

"Your friend Rajiv seems to enjoy Mitchell," she giggled. "Maybe a bit too much. Oh well, it'll be good for Mitch."

I laughed. Paige's brother was angry at the world, maybe Rajiv's all-too-cheery attitude would help.

"Miss Chloe, Miss Catherine, could you come here?"

I raised an eyebrow at Paige. "He's allowed to call you 'Catherine?'"

"No, he's not..." She rolled her eyes as we walked over to the kitchen, bringing a jar of pickles and two forks with us.

"So, Mitchell is moving into the dorms at UCSF. Paige, Lana said you can move in with her, since she has a spare bedroom." Alek looked down at the list he was holding. "Z said he's in the dorms too. Arun, you wanted to get your own apartment, right?"

The man nodded. He's probably tired of living with Jasmine, Aunt Valentina, and his little brother.

Paige waddled towards me, fork jabbing at the jar for a pickle. We fought for a bit, until we noticed that we had the attention of the entire room. Even the usually stoic Arun smirked, startling almost all of us. Paige flashed him a smile, succeeding in tripping over a bump in the rug.

I gasped, worried about the fork in her hands. She's such a ditz; she could have accidentally stabbed herself. A giggle and a grumble made me look up. Arun had his arms around Paige's waist, her forked pickle on the floor below her. She was blushing, looking up at her savior.

Arun, much to my surprise, looked worried. He helped her to her feet, but didn't resist when Paige didn't let go of his arm.

_Looks like the Singh brothers and the Fraser siblings might prove to be just as entertaining as they are helpful._

* * *

><p><strong>Let me know what you guys think, if you love it, if you hate it, etc. Two new characters, again! Ughhhh, I'm so worried! Please tell me what you think, if you like them, hate them, are confused, etc. It's so much easier if I know what I can do to make it better. With the original characters, I never know if you all like them...<strong>


	19. Chapter 19

**To Mai Surprise**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Nine Lives of Chloe King, nor do I profit from any of my stories.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Warning: This story is rated M and is intended for mature audiences only. Reader discretion is advised.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 19<strong>

* * *

><p>"So, you're Zane, right?" Brian looked across the table at the other Mai.<p>

Nodding, Z said, "That's my alias here in the US. 'Zivoniy' is unusual, and I don't want to draw any unnecessary attention to myself."

Alek and I met up with the other Mai at the penthouse to plan out protection detail. For now, I weren't supposed to be alone, ever. Brian and Kai would take turns watching over Alek. Jasmine and Mimi would watch over Alek when they were at school. I would stay at Aunt Valentina's store with Brian or with Lana when I was working.

* * *

><p>On Wednesday, after I finished with work, I got a call from Paige.<p>

Paige and I both decided that we both need to get maternity clothes. At 11 weeks along, I wasn't completely fat, but I was starting to get funny looks from people. Most of my old dresses and pants didn't fit me. We decided to go after the doctor showed up because Rajiv and Amy wanted to come with, and their fashion advice was much appreciated. After lounging around for a few hours, an elderly woman showed up at the door. She gave Jasmine and Aunt Valentina hugs, and pinched Z on the cheek.

"Babushka, please…" Z glared at his grandmother.

"Zinoviy, sweetheart, leave us. The ladies need to be looked at." As Z left, she got out a portable ultrasound from the cart she brought with her.

Paige went first, lying down on Jasmine's bed. "Mrs. R-"

"'Babushka' is fine my child. Most of you youngsters call me that." She bent down to retrieve a tube of jelly from her bag. "This is going to feel a bit cold."

Paige only nodded, looking up at the screen on the table. A white blob appeared on the screen, moving around a little bit.

"See that right there? It's the heartbeat. Everything looks good." The doctor looked down at Paige. "Do you want to know the gender?"

Paige nodded.

"See that right there? That is his genitalia. Congratulations, it's a boy." She smiled warmly, saying, "I'll print out some pictures and make a video of the ultrasound. Chloe, dear, it's your turn.

Paige got up, cradling her belly in her hands. "What should I name him?"

I shrugged, and then took her place on the bed. After I lifted up my shirt, Babushka squirted the jelly on my stomach.

A slightly smaller blob appeared on the computer screen. It flickered to the beat of my baby's heart. If I strained my ears, I could hear it beating. It is about a month too early to tell the gender. I honestly didn't know if I wanted a boy, or a girl. Alek wants a son; he won't say it, but I can tell by the way he always calls the baby 'him' instead of 'it.'"

After removing the jelly from my stomach and saying good-bye to Babushka, Paige drove us to pick up Rajiv and Amy. We headed to Union Square and hit up all the best maternity stores. Paige bitched about having to buy pants with an elastic waistband. Amy and Rajiv ran around collecting clothing and making outfits; a half-human version of Stacy and Clinton.

"Miss Chloe, Miss Catherine, we have set your clothes in the fitting room, arranged into outfits."

We both sent him grateful smiles, meeting Amy in the changing room. She helped us with unreasonably placed zippers and strange waist fastenings.

"Oh my God Chloe! This dress is so cute! It shows off your cute little baby bump! And, you can button it up to let out the tummy area as you get fatter!"

Paige turned to Amy, eyes watering as she glared at the younger girl. "Don't you dare call us fat! We're not fat! I can't get this zipped!"

Amy helped pull the zipper up, and then shoved Paige in front of the mirror. The little black dress synched under her boobs, flaring out over her tummy to meet her thighs.

"This is so cute! I'm going to have to shave my legs more often!" She laughed, giving the mirror a twirl. "Who says I can't be a sexy mom?"

"If you're going for 'sexy' then try this on." Amy handed her another dress, throwing a pair of pants in my direction.

"I like this! Do you think it's too much?" Paige looked at herself in the mirror, eyeing the revealing cleavage.

"Have Rajiv take a look. He's more qualified than I am, at least when it comes to modesty." After making sure that I was decent, Amy threw open the door, trading Paige for another armful of clothes.

"It's sexy, but still sophisticated. This shade of green really brings out the color in your eyes." Rajiv gave the dress one last glance. "Yes, my brother will love this." He ignored Paige's blush and shoved her back into the fitting room.

Amy started singing, "Arun and Paige-y, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N- ow!"

Rajiv's voice rang out from the other side of the door. "Miss Catherine, no hitting… I'm going to go pick out some blouses. I think you have enough dresses and pants"

His phone started to buzz as he walked away. "Namastē… Yes... And it said? Oh dear…. We will…... Thank you."

"Raj, who was that?" Amy started gathering up the approved clothing while Paige and I changed back into our original outfits.

"That was Arun. We need to get back to the base. Whitney Rezza has joined Interpol as an undercover informant."

* * *

><p>"He did what exactly?" Brian was livid. He sat on the couch, but would have jumped to his feet if Mimi hadn't been holding his arms down. Aunt Valentina insisted on calling up the Las Vegas Pride, to see if they had any clue what was going on. While she was on the phone, Brian dialed his father's cell phone. The Mai, with our advanced hearing abilities, could hear both sides of the conversation, while the rest could only hear Brian.<p>

"_Son, have you finally come to your senses?"_

"What have you done?" Brian's usually expressive voice was completely emotionless.

"_You are either with me, of against me. Choose, my son."_

"Never! You are a monster!"

"_Then you're dead." _Mr. Rezza hung up.

"Rajiv, did you get all that?" Mimi said, turning to look at the Taurus behind a wall of screens and computers.

"I am running a trace on the call right now. It should be finished in-" The computer flashed red and made a slight '_ping_' sound. "That was quick. Oh dear. The signal bounced off a cell tower down at the Golden Gate Bridge. I can see if I can get a live feed from the traffic cameras in the area."

Images flickered across the screens, scrolling through different camera's views of the streets.

"There! That's him!" Brian pointed to the screen on the bottom left. "I'm sure of it. That's his watch and ring on his hand. See there, he favors his left leg."

Mimi gasped, pointing on the right-hand screen. "That's my father! Who are those other guys with him?"

Mr. Vacinni and three other Mai walked down the street, reappearing on the screen with Mr. Rezza.

* * *

><p>The street was dark, they must have know that our allies didn't all have Mai night-vision so the cut the power to the street lights. It was only ten o'clock at night, but there wasn't a single cyclist on Bike Rout 95. Lana, Paige, and I stayed back while Alek, Jasmine, Z, Kai, Mimi, Brian, Rajiv, Arun, and Mitchell made their way towards Mr. Rezza, Mr. Vacinni, and their cronies. Amy and Paul stayed safe in the cars, acting as out default get-away drivers.<p>

Brian and Mimi took a preemptive strike against two of the attackers. After dodging an oncoming blow, Brian slashed his opponent's spine before snapping his neck. Mimi, struggling, managed to break her attacker's arm, only to receive a fist smashing her face. More damage would have been done, if Brian hadn't stepped in.

In the chaos, one of the nameless Mai ran towards Paige, singling her out as the weakest of the group. She tried to dodge him knife, but it got caught in her hair. Paige shrieked, kicking her opponent in the groin. When that wasn't enough, she braced herself for the impending blow. Suddenly, she was shoved behind Arun, his eyes glowing red. His body was bulky, more than usual. He charged ahead, taking down whoever came at him, in a fit of rage. Arun held off three of the attackers, two of whom looked more like Order members than Mai.

Jasmine and Kai each take down one of the two men who were in Mr. Rezza and Mr. Vacinni's cars waiting to drive them away.

Roberto Vacinni made his way towards me, his claws out and his cat's eyes glaring. Lana tried to pull me back, but my fight-or-flight instinct chose to stand its ground. As Mr. Vacinni approached, I got into a fighting stance, my own claws out. We faced off; frozen, waiting to see who would make the first move. I move first, taking a step back to throw him off. It doesn't work, and he grabs my arm. I am about to fight back when I feel myself falling. With a scream, I fall over their railing, towards the Bay.

Somewhere in the background, Rajiv and Mitch are circling a member of the Order. Rajiv's firm muscles bulk up, though his eyes stay their usual dark brown color. He attacks the man head-on, distracting him from Mitchell's movement. In a flash, Mitchell lands six punches on the attacker's stomach. Then, he poked a pressure point, giving Rajiv enough time to snap their opponent's neck.

Once I hit the water, I scrambled towards the surface. My clothes were weighing me down and I struggled for oxygen. A tan arm reached out to grab my own. The fingers had thin, light blue webbing between them. Lana swam towards the surface, her neck shining with crystal-like scales. I could see small slits on the sides of her throat, as if she had the gills of a fish.

We surfaced, Mimi and Jasmine helping us back up to the road. Mr. Vacinni was dead, his throat slit by Brian, judging by the blood all over his hands.

There was only enemy left, Whitney Rezza. Alek and Z charge at him, Alek distracting the man so that Z can get behind him. Mr. Rezza pulls a gum out of the waistband of his pants and aims at Z. Alek shoves him out of the way, taking a bullet to his left shoulder. I screamed, but Alek didn't hesitate. Z tore out the ligaments in Mr. Rezza's limbs with his claws, leaving the older man paralyzed. Alek snagged the gun away from him, clutching his bleeding shoulder. He puts his foot on Mr. Rezza's neck.

"Who have you told?" he demands, putting pressure on Mr. Rezz's neck.

"The Order knows. I told them everything, where you are living, who your friends are, everything."

"Who did you tell about Chloe's baby?" Alek took his foot off the man's neck, baring his claws in Mr. Rezza's face.

"She's pregnant? I didn't know, I swear." Mr. Rezza seemed to be telling the truth.

Alek helped the man up, still holding a clawed hand to his neck.

"There is one thing." Mr. Rezza turned and looked me in the eye. "You, my dear, are going to be their next target." He made a run for it, only to have his throat ripped out by Alek.

"Chloe, are you okay?" Alek rushed to my side, worrying over my dripping clothes. When I nodded, he said, "good" then passed out in my arms.

* * *

><p><strong>Let me know what you guys think, if you love it, if you hate it, etc. <strong>


	20. Chapter 20

**To Mai Surprise**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Nine Lives of Chloe King, nor do I profit from any of my stories.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Warning: This story is rated M and is intended for mature audiences only. Reader discretion is advised.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 20<strong>

* * *

><p>Alek was in a coma for five days. Meredith kept him at home; Aunt Valentina had the life-support set up in our room. I rarely left his side the whole time. After days of talking to him, praying to Bastet, wiping sweat off Alek's skin, and trying not to cry, Alek's heartbeat sped up. He woke up for about two hours, enough time for me to tell him what happened.<p>

When the battle against Mr. Vacinni and Mr. Rezza was finished, we rushed Alek home. He fainted from blood loss, but he didn't lose another life. Paige and I, wracked with crazy hormones, both threw tantrums. Arun held Paige, ignoring her struggles when she tried to fight him off, and then letting her cry into his shoulder. I clung to Jasmine and Amy, desperately trying not to scream. Rajiv and Mitchell fought between themselves because Mitchell blamed Rajiv and his brother for Paige's hysterics.

After the update, Alek fell back asleep, exhausted. He slept well that night, waking me up in the morning with a quick kiss.

Since then, we have resumed our usual routine. My classes at the community college started up for spring term, taking up most of my time. Aunt Valentina planned for me to return to the high school next fall, after the baby is born. At the college, I took Creative Writing instead of English 11, Math 103 instead of Pre Calculus, and Political Science instead of APUSH. I miss going to school with my friends, but I don't miss AP United States History.

My classes were fun, but work was hell. Babushka forbade me from all types of caffeine, including my morning coffee. At the store, I would sit behind the counter, the coffee shop glaring at me. Eventually, Lana would just send me over to Valentina's antique shop. Aunt Val is never actually there but Brian, and his lovely assistant Mimi, were enough to distract me from my caffeine withdrawal and the pain of my stretching uterus. Luckily, there was an ugly old French divan that is never going to sell. With a five-cheese pizza and a 2-liter of grapefruit juice, a blanket and a pillow, I am perfectly comfortable. _Even_ when Charlie decided that 'preggo-tummy' is cat for 'best-bed-ever.'

* * *

><p>For Valentine's Day, Alek and I went to the courthouse. Meredith and Aunt Valentina came with us, since Alek and I are both only seventeen. We applied for a confidential marriage license, meaning that the license wouldn't go into the public records. My world turned upside down. <em>Who would have thought a name and a ring would make me feel so different?<em> Per Babushka's advice, I decided to feminize my surname in the traditional Russian way. From now on, I am Chloe Diane Petrova.

Alek and I exchanged wedding rings, mine resting on my left hand next to the heirloom engagement ring, his living next to his dog tags on the chain around his neck. The tags were a gift from Aunt Val, serving both as official identification, and an auspicious place to wear his wedding ring.

* * *

><p>Петров, Александр Вениамин<br>Группа крови: A +  
>15 октября 1994<br>Бастет Благословение

* * *

><p>The first tag has Russian engraved into its stainless steel. Also on the chain is the English translation, etched on a second tag.<p>

* * *

><p>Petrov, Aleksander Benjamin<br>Blood Type: A+  
>October 15th, 1994<br>Bastet's Blessing

* * *

><p>For my birthday, the next day, Alek threw me a huge party at his house. Everyone who knew of our 'baby situation' was there. Mitchell spent the day sitting in an armchair, glaring at Rajiv from across the room. If the latter noticed, he didn't show it. Arun displayed a similar disdain for his girlfriend's younger brother. Paige, waddling about in an adorable navy maternity dress, made the party come alive. She kept the atmosphere light, in spite of her brother's irritated attitude.<p>

Everyone brought me an assortment of baby supplies, and a myriad of seventy-five percent off post-Valentine's Day chocolate. The girls all brought baby clothes. The clothes that each girl brought reflected their personalities. Jasmine's were sensible, infant onesies and unisex outfits. Mimi gave me a cute set of outfits that were in gender-neutral colors, and about three hundred of iron-on patches and decals, promising to personalize the clothes when we knew the gender. Amy went all out, buying crazy baby clothes that seemed more like Halloween costumes. _Though, imagining my baby in a tiny bumblebee costume or dinosaur poncho, I'm sure it'll be the cutest thing ever._

I started crying when I opened the present from the guys. Apparently Alek, Paul, Brian, Rajiv, Z, even Arun and Mitchell, all worked together to put together a beautiful set of baby furniture. Arun, with his extensive carpentry experience, had helped the other guys build a changing table, a dresser and a baby crib. The woodwork was beautiful, but just knowing that everyone helped create it was incredibly special.

Meredith's present was a huge, apparently she had been stocking up ever since she heard I was pregnant. She managed to wrap up a Pack-N-Play, a baby swing, a baby bathtub, an infant car seat, and a baby stroller.

Aunt Valentina gave us an apartment in her building, so that we had a place to put all the new furniture. We would move in after the baby is born, before school starts.

Zane's grandmother offered to babysit while we were at school. Her medical expertise would help the San Francisco Pride, and she said there was something here she needed to investigate over the summer. Babushka, to celebrate both our wedding and my birthday, formally adopted us into the Domashevich family. Apparently she had suspicions that Alek was somehow related to her, because her daughter-in-law was a Petrova. Their family is exceedingly powerful in both Mai and human circles, controlling both the economy and the political spectrum of Europe.

Alek refused to accept the platinum credit card she offered, saying that he wanted to support his family with his own power. Babushka understood; she was proud of his determination. After much persuasion, we finally accepted her offer to pay for all of the medical expenses, childcare, and college tuition for our growing family. While accepting a credit card from 'the Family' felt like too much, we could still use all the help we could get.

* * *

><p>Entering my second trimester was exciting. At thirteen weeks along, my hormones had all but died down and I had yet to resemble a beached whale. Paige, at 18 weeks, was only slightly more inflated than me. Predicting some more stomach growth, we decided to take another trip to the maternity department. Our new favorite store has to be Motherhood; they have all the best clothes. The sales representative showed us what we would look like in a week, two weeks, even a month of two.<p>

While trying on a frenzy of floaty blouses and pants with elastic waistbands, Paige gave in to her need to expel her secrets. Apparently, Arun wouldn't have sex with her.

"Does he think I'm too fat? Or is it because Isaiah isn't his?" Wiggling into a brown silk skirt, Paige seemed to drift into her own little world. I doubt she would even notice if I ditched her in favor of the JambaJuice next door. "I shouldn't care, but I do! Today, he asked me if I… Well, he asked if, not really asked, more like casually suggested it, 'cause he said it like it was no big deal, even though we all know that it's not…"

"Paige! Breathe!" I took off the emerald green sweater that I was trying on. "What did he say?"

"He asked if we should get married!"

"WHAT? What did he say? What did _you_ say? When was this?"

"Um… it was yesterday. We were… cuddling, on the couch, watching Harry Potter, when I felt Isaiah kick for the first time." She covered my mouth when I squealed. "Shhhush! I don't want the sale's rep thinking that my water broke or something…" She sat down on the bench, reaching for a pair of board shorts. Pulling the elastic band over her baby bump, she looked critically in the mirror. "Anyway, I freaked out and fell out off the couch. Arun thought I had hurt myself, so he went into one of his hyperparanoid mood things. I took his hand, just like this."

Paige grabbed my wrist and placed my palm on her stomach, moving it around until I felt a slight kick. "He felt Isaiah and he grabbed me. I was worried for a second, but Arun just held me close. He said 'I would be able to support a family better if I was married.' I didn't know what to say! It's not like he was proposing, but I don't expect him to take a knee and whip out a ring."

Her heartbeat was racing, so I dropped the jeans I as holding to make sure she wasn't about to start crying. "You need to confront him. No, put your phone away. Since you two aren't living together, you've get to get him cornered. I say, pack your overnight bag and show up on his doorstep tonight after dinner." I grabbed her phone. "This is mine now. You get it back tomorrow, only if you get him to explain his intentions." I sent Rajiv a text. "There, now you have no choice. I told Rajiv that you're going to sleepover at Arun's, and to keep it a secret."

"NO! Rajiv can't keep a secret! Arun's going to be pissed! He's going to text me, and I won't be able to answer! Oh my God, don't you dare answer it if he texts or calls! Give me that!"

We wrestled for a moment, until I conceded to give her the battery for her phone. This way, she couldn't talk to anyone, and I couldn't use her phone to talk to people for her.

"Don't back anything sexy, go for cute. He likes you; you just need to figure out if where he wants your relationship to go. I say, go for the 'cute, blonde, ditzy, mommy-to-be who needs to be protected from her own clumsiness.' Or you can be the 'pathetically confused pregnant girl who's afraid that her baby will never have a real dad.''

"You just told me to be myself…"

"That's good too, just be you. Just be Paige!" I laughed, carrying our clothes up to the cashier.

* * *

><p><strong>Do you want Chloe's baby to be a boy? Or a girl? Name suggestions?<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>There are a lot of couples in the fic. Who do you want to get married? What are your relationship predictions?<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Which characters do you guys hate? You don't care about? Or just can't imagine them in the story? If I had to kill off three characters, who do you want me to kill? <strong>


	21. Chapter 21

**To Mai Surprise**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Nine Lives of Chloe King, nor do I profit from any of my stories.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Warning: This story is rated M and is intended for mature audiences only. Reader discretion is advised.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 21<strong>

* * *

><p>"'James'? Why 'James?'"<p>

"I don't know Babushka, I just like the way it sounds." I shrugged. "Since we're going to have a boy, James is the first name that comes to mind."

"I am sure Aleksander will love it. It holds so much meaning."

My hands stopped kneading the dough. "Why's that?"

"His father. His name was James Benjamin Domashevich. Only recently have I received confirmation, but it seems that my daughter-in-law did have two sons after all."

She handed me a crumpled up photo of two beautiful boys. One looked to be about five, curly honey-brown hair framing his face. _Z?_ Sure enough, it was him. Zinoviy was smiling holding a tiny toddler.

"That's Alek?" I stared at the picture, my heart breaking. "You knew? All this time? Alek has been hurting all these years, seventeen years! Imagine never knowing who you are?" Tears prickled my eyes. "He never knew who he is! Where he's from! He never knew who his parents were!"

Babushka wrapped her arms around me, in spite of my protests. "His mother hid him well. The Russian purge was horrid. All the Mai were threatened." She looked me straight in the eyes. "We didn't know. I swear to you, we didn't know. I only found out because I stumbled upon Amelia Petrova's last will and testament."

She led me into another room, unlocking the door on her way in. After she unlocked the floor safe, Babushka took out a manila file. Alek's birth certificate, his mother's will, and his 'Relocation' statement, were thrust into my hands.

"When your husband returns from work, I will show him his file. When we have Aleksander's little alliance over for dinner, we can have the younger Singh brother hack into the government's records. Given this new information, we need to know if the Order knows as well." Meredith took a look at the files, frowning.

"Does this explain how I could adopt him? Alek is Mai, the Uniter, his mate is here in San Fran, and yet he want to be my son. It seems like fate." Mer bit her lip to keep from tearing up. " He has called me 'Mum' since I met him. Thank you for letting me raise him, even if he has been forced to grow up so fast."

Babushka, as the matron of one of the most wealthy and powerful families in the world, she had since taken over the operation. Everyone on our side respected her. Everyone with the enemy feared her. She has over a hundred confirmed Order kills, with zero civilian casualties. Those who reject the Uniter are rejecting her.

"Meredith, _Moya milaya_, you are exactly what the Uniter needed. You have healed his heart, molded him into such a striking young man, and have given him a beautiful life.

Likewise, those who Babushka approved of are accepted; human, Mai, Jackle, flying spaghetti monster.

"Meredith, you are the only woman in the world who could do such a feat. I will be forever in your debt."

With that, Babushka made her way back into the kitchen.

* * *

><p>"Mitchell, hun, could you come here? You are a communications major, right? Can you take a look at this?" Rajiv pulled the disgruntled Falco into his 'hacker's lair'. "These are all the Russian, British, and American adoption, birth, and death records for the dates of Aleksander's life. Could you please peruse these documents? I need to know which are official, forged, or unofficial."<p>

Mitchell took one look at me- pregnant and feeling thoroughly broken, and his older sister- hysterical and even more pregnant, and agreed to help. Rajiv smiled, his love-hate relationship with the other guy was extremely entertaining. As much of a gentleman as he could be, Rajiv still had his intrusive moments. The Taurus, with his lean frame and solid build, could hardly feel Mitch's punches. Punches, of course, that were promptly delivered whenever Rajiv copped a feel or rubbed ass belonging to the auburn-haired fiery menace.

Aside from the 'inappropriate touching' on Rajiv's part, the recent engagement of Arun and Paige triggered even more resentment. Without Alek assuring us all that Mitchell had no desire to betray us, we would have questioned his loyalty months ago.

* * *

><p>"Okay, so this is the birth certificate from Russia. It says that Aleksander Benjamin Petrov's mother was an Anastasiya Cherlina, father unknown." He handed me another piece of paper. "Read it."<p>

Мать: Амелия Петров.

Отец: Джеймс Домашевич

"When it's translated from Russian, it says:

Mother: Amelia Petrova

Father: James Domashevich

Oh my God."

"This here, look at this tear." Babushka pointed to a slight rip on the time-yellowed original Russian document. "Amelia was trained. This mark could be a sign she left. It seems like she placed the English translation on top of the Russian, and then scratched through the paper before it was filed. Since Aleksander was immediately sent to Great Britain, only the English birth certificate was used."

"My lady, it seems that you have gone through great lengths to acquire these documents. There is no record of your actions in either the government's records, or that of the Order. Miss Catherine, you look weary. Brother, please take her home. There is nothing more we can do tonight." Rajiv dutifully dragged an irritated and reluctant Mitchell past us to his bedroom.

Paul, anxious to get home to Skyrim, made Amy drive him home. Jasmine ignored my gestures as I mimed unrolling a condom on a banana, motioning my baby bump as a warning. She left on the back of Z's bike. Babushka forced Brian to stop talking strategy with Alek, and take Mimi home. My 'new' grandmother-in-law drove Lana back to her apartment, promising that she would talk to us in the morning.

* * *

><p>"Right here? Lower?" He reached across me to get more lotion. "Bloody Hell, stop moving!"<p>

"I'm sorry…" I moaned, trying to see Alek over the bulge of my belly. "I just can't help it! You're just so… so good at this!" I kicked him, gently. "Don't get cocky! Put that smirk away…"

"God forbid Mum ever have Mai hearing, she would get the wrong idea." The bed rumbled with Alek's laugh.

"NO! Not funny! That tickles!" I tried to kick him again, but I couldn't overpower Alek's grip on my ankles.

"I'm sorry, love. You're hopeless. I give up." He got off the bed with a frown.

"Nooooooooooo! More! Moorrreeee!" I swung my feet in the air, trying to get him to go back to massaging them. "Please?"

"Only 'cause I love you. That, and you are the most pathetic excuse of a hippopotamus I have ever had the pleasure of petting." After blocking another kick, Alek resumed his post-bath massage.

Our 'sex-life' was more 'life' than 'sex' these days, but we still made it work. We take a bath together every night, candles, soft music, it was romantic. It won't always be like this, I know. Eventually 'bathtime' will call for wrestling a little munchkin into the bathtub to scrub off the day's grit and grime. For now, 'bathtime' was set aside for us. Just Alek and Chloe, not the Uniter and his mate, not Mai and Mai, no threats on our life, no running, no hiding, just husband and wife.

* * *

><p>"This is your fault! You stupid fucking monster! My sister is gone! Of at some man's house! They know about us! They know about Alek and his stupid knocked-up wife! I didn't do this, you did!"<p>

_SLAP!_

"Why is this happening? Why is it like this…." Sobbing, Mitchell collapsed on the couch.

Rajiv, his cheek red from the slap, wrapped his arms around the taller guy, letting him cry on his shoulder. "_Mērā pyāra_, oh my love, it will be alright. This I promise you."

Arun and Paige were still at home; Mitchell didn't want to stress out his sister any more than necessary. Everyone else in Alek's 'little alliance' were crowded in Aunt Valentina's apartment, even Amy, Paul, and Meredith.

I sat with Amy and Mimi, trying to tune out their fussing. I couldn't hear what Alek was talking about, something about a meeting with the Mai Council in New York. Something about James. Something about going into hiding.

* * *

><p><strong>There are a lot of couples in the fic. Who do you want to get married? What are your relationship predictions?<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>If I had to kill off three characters, who do you want me to kill? <strong>


	22. Chapter 22

**To Mai Surprise**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Nine Lives of Chloe King, nor do I profit from any of my stories.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Warning: This story is rated M and is intended for mature audiences only. Reader discretion is advised.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 22<strong>

* * *

><p>"Jamie, your Uncle Z said you picked out a name for your sister. What did you have in mind?"<p>

"Mummy said that her Mum's name was Diana. What if the baby was Diana?"

"I like that name. What about a middle name? Your middle name is Kent, after where I was used to live."

"Where did Mummy used to live?"

"In North Carolina, your Mum lived in Eden before you were born."

"When Mummy was playing Hide-'n-Seek?"

I suppressed a chuckle; James really is just too cute.

"Well son, it was something like that. Now go and wake up your Mum."

I feigned sleep as James ran into the room, tackling me down onto the bed.

"Mummy! Mummy! Wake up! Wake up!" James attacked, jumping up and down to punctuate his enthusiasm. "Daddy, she's not waking up? Doesn't she know what today is?"

At four-years-old, he asked more questions than all the AP tests I've ever taken.

"Huh? What time is it…" I mumbled, pretending to wake up, though James incessant planning woke me up hours ago. "Jamie? Baby? Wha..?

"Mummy, I'm not a baby, that's the baby!" He pointed to my stomach, before leaning down against the bed. "Good morning Mummy, good morning sissy." James bent kiss my cheek, and then my stomach.

"Good morning Jamie, what's up?" I struggled to get out of bed. It's been four years, but I still remember how much more difficult moving around is going to get. _Only two months to go._

"Okay, okay, let me go potty then I'll go see whatever you've been scheming." I ruffled my son's blonde hair, sending him into Alek's arms with a push. "_I love you,_" I whispered, for Alek's ears only.

* * *

><p>Everyone from the Alliance came over. <em>Good thing Alek and I splurged on a bigger house…<em> People kept showing up, leaving their duffle bags and Pak-N-Plays in our spare bedrooms.

Isaiah, his little sister Deven, and the happily married Paige and Arun. After giving birth to Devi, since she had a C-section, Paige decided on a hysterectomy. Apparently two children are enough.

Amy and Paul, engaged. _Finally, it took them long enough…_

Kai, and his wife Rose, live downtown. Rose, originally human, turned Jackal when she 'mated' with Kai. Their son, Oliver, just turned two.

Rajiv and Mitchell, happily and irritably married, respectively. They now live in Seattle, but have flown down for the special occasion.

Meredith, and her new husband John, were in charge of the decorating.

Brian and Mimi, with Chance, their son, flew over from Vegas last night.

Lana, now a fashion designer in Los Angeles, decided to drag her husband to the event as well.

Jasmine and Zane arrived shortly after, accompanied with their toddling daughter Valentina, named after her late grandmother.

Alek and Z's grandmother, the infamous Babushka, didn't live to see her great-grandson.

I pushed those thoughts away. The death of Aunt Val and Babushka will always weigh heavily on my heart, but the past four years have all but erased the guilt. The five months I had to spend in hiding made me realize exactly how much we take for granted.

Seven months ago, I found out I was pregnant again. Apparently Alek only wanted his first child to be a boy so that James could protect his little sisters. I know when Diana is born, she will be her daddy's baby forever.

Nine months ago, I finished attending the City College of San Francisco, earning my Associates degree in Early Childhood Development.

Eighteen months ago, Alek and I moved out of our rental apartment in Jasmine and Aunt Val's building. We bought a beautiful forty-square-foot, five bedrooms and four bath, secure house, complete with a 'Taurus' surveillance system, indoor pool, home office aka 'headquarters,' and a playground in the back yard.

Three years ago, I graduated high school with the rest of my class.

Four years ago, word got out that the Order had been officially shut down. All members were terminated; those who cooperated were sentenced to life in prison, for their crimes against humanity, by their country's respective government. I was allowed back in San Fran only three weeks before James was born.

Four years ago, my Aunt Valentina was assassinated by the Order. My grandmother-in-law was tortured for weeks before she died. Babushka never revealed my location. Their deaths lead to the United States FBI's interest in the Order.

Five years ago, I gave birth to James Kent Petrov, my darling angle. His first word was 'Daddy!' so he will probably always be Alek's 'little protégé.' He is super shy around strangers, but when he feels threatened, little Jamie curses just as much as his father does.

Five years ago, I married the man of my dreams, my soul mate, my best friend, the Uniter.

Seven years ago, I met Aleksander Benjamin Petrov for the first time, when he smirked at me in the halls, my freshman year of high school.

Eight years ago, I started my transformation, my Mai senses finally reaching maturity.

Twelve years ago, I came to the United States to live with Aunt Valentina and Jasmine.

Thirteen years ago, my parents were murdered by the Order.

Twenty-one years ago, I was born in Yalta, Ukraine.

"Chloe, get your arse over here! We have candles that need… blowing."

"Daddy, language!" _Oh James…._

Today, I am twenty-one years young, surrounded by loving family and friends.

"Mummy! Hurry! The cake's on fire!"

Twenty-one, and I can't even drink.

Joy…

* * *

><p><strong>This fic is finished! But the story is not over, I promise. I am planning on writing plenty of stand-alone fics that will mesh with this perfectly. For example, Chloe's days in hiding, when James was born, as well as James and Diana as they grow up.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>As always, feedback is wonderful! If you would like to read more, keep checking back on my profile page, or reviewPM demanding more!**


End file.
